That voice
by boiya
Summary: Following semi anime storyline: Hao's soul finds its way into Yoh's body & returns as Yoh in order to do something that he had left undone before he died. Yoh battles to gain control of his body before Hao does something to Anna.
1. Hao's Return

Disclaimers: I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me. Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing. Based on after ep 64 of the anime since I haven't gotten the manga or read the manga yet.

© April 2003, revised September 2005

Chapter 1 – Hao's Return

Yoh had spent all day training under Anna's keen stare since no recent news of the Shaman Fight had been received lately besides one last message from the oracle bell. Everyone believed things had ended at Patch Village, but the feeling didn't last long. The Shaman King fight was indeed going to continue, in one month's time. That meant more training for Yoh and Anna used it much to her advantage to train the young shaman more though he had already defeated Hao, who was known as the most powerful shaman to ever exist.

Yoh closed his eyes all too glad that the day had ended and started to drift off to sleep. A voice began to call him.

"Yoh." The voice whispered. Yoh rolled over since he was too tired to answer whoever was calling him. Again he heard his name and opened his eyes to look around. The room was dark and he saw no one.

"Who's there?" There was no reply. He closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep finally. No one bothered him and he heard no voices for the rest of that night.

The next morning as Yoh was serving breakfast to Anna. "Anna?" Yoh asked as she looked over at him.

"What?" Yoh sweat dropped and played the words that he wanted to say over and over through his mind, but he just couldn't say the real question that he wanted to ask because it just wouldn't sound right no matter what he told himself. Earlier when he had asked Amidamaru if he had heard anything last night. The samurai spirit had informed him that it had been a quiet night and that he had felt no presences besides that of Anna and Yoh in the house. Then had came the discussion of Yoh explaining to Amidamaru that he had heard someone call his name and he wasn't sure if it had been Anna or not so he was planning to ask her.

Yoh had wanted to ask Anna if she had been calling his name last night and no matter how many times Yoh thought about it. Tiny sweatdrops danced across Yoh's forehead as Anna stared at him. He believed that if he asked Anna such a question. He would receive a slap or even a punch for such a question because of the way it sounding, a girl calling out a guy's name in the middle of the night. Amidamaru had also agreed that Yoh should not ask Anna such a question, ever. Instead they ended up rewording the question.

"Did you hear anyone calling out my name last night?" Anna continued to peer at Yoh for a moment.

"No."

"Ah." Yoh and Amidamaru looked at one another.

"Why?" Yoh looked back over to Anna.

"Because I could have sworn that I heard someone calling out my name last night." Anna's gaze narrowed on Yoh and a HUGE sweat drop began to form as he realized what he had just said. "That is, I was starting to go to sleep when I heard someone say my name, but when I asked if anyone was there. No one replied and I saw no one."

"You were probably dreaming." Anna replied and began to eat. Between bites she murmured. "Hurry up and eat or you'll be late for school." Yoh nodded and started to eat.

Though for some reason the voice sounded familiar, but he does not mention his thoughts to Anna. He couldn't quiet recall where he had heard it before. A voice that he didn't care to hear ever again and wondered perhaps that Anna was right. That he had been dreaming, but what if he had not been dreaming he wondered.

Later that night as Yoh lied awake and slowly began to fall asleep. He heard it again, but this time he ignored it as he drifted off to sleep. A dark figure appeared before him and smiled.

"Yoh. It's good of you to finally come and see me." Yoh stared at the dark figure in his dream. He couldn't make out who it was since the dream itself was pitch black. All he could make out was the figure of a person standing a few feet away from him. The darkness reminded him of being in the cave of Yomi that was in his hometown that had helped to boost up his Furyoku fast. He knew instantly that this darkness was different; it held a more sinister aura to it.

His senses adjusted to the darkness as he watched the figure begin to approach him. The figured paused beside Yoh and whispered in his ear. "It is your fault that this all ended up happening and like I had said before. You are mine and I've come back for what is mine." Light dawned upon Yoh as the voice finally reached him.

Light shined in upon the dream as a vast valley filled the scene. The beautiful scene that enveloped them with the plush green grass below their feet did not did not avert Yoh's serious gaze that rested on the figure that stood beside him. There standing beside Yoh was none other than his older brother, Hao.

"It can't be.." Yoh began, but Hao cut him off.

"Oh, it's true." Hao continued to smile at his little brother. "You destroyed my other body, but I've always had this one too." Hao reached out and caressed Yoh's cheek. "And I do plan to use it. I haven't achieved what I set out to do. Much is still to be gained in this life." Yoh's pupils faded to all white as he stared in shock at Hao.

'How could this be happening' Yoh wondered. 'Could this really be happening? It's a dream.' He told himself as he began to recover from the shock. 'It's just a nightmare. Wake up, Yoh.'

"Hmph. So you think this isn't real, do you? We shall put it to the test." Hao's figure disappears from the dream as the scene turns dark again into a pitch black. Yoh's eyes began to search the scene wildly for signs of Hao.

"Hao!" Yoh calls out seeing no signs of his brother anymore.

"Don't worry, Yoh. I'll take good care of Anna for you." Hao begins to laugh.

"Hao!" Yoh begins to run franticly throughout the empty void of his dream searching for any signs of his brother. "Hao, what do you mean by that?" He shouted as he ran. "Don't you dare touch Anna!" Yoh caught himself and stopped running. He stood in place as a smile started from the edge of his lips and spread into a nervous smile. "You're dead. There's no way that you can touch Anna." Yoh couldn't see the smirk on Hao's face.

"I'm going to prove to you dear brother that this is indeed real. I am now taking back what is mine. All that is yours is mine, your mind, your body, and your soul. Even Anna will be mine."

"Hao!" Yoh cried out again, but this time. There was no reply.. only silence.


	2. Awakening

Disclaimers: I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me. Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing. Based on after ep 64 of the anime since I haven't gotten the manga or read the manga yet.

© April 2003

Chapter 2 – Awakening, reviced September 2005

Hao opened his eyes only to meet the darkness that filled the room. He sat up and looked around. A smiled formed on his lips as he realized that he was back. He was alive again though his surroundings were unfamiliar to him. He knew that this place must be where Yoh resided.

Hao got up and carefully dressed himself in Yoh's normal outfit. He wanted to keep the appearance of Yoh in hopes that no one would notice who he was just yet. It was dark and quiet in the house. No one was up or around at this hour of the night. It only darkness only aided him in his task as he silently made his way throughout the house.

He searched the house until he found Anna's room. He pauses with his hand on the door and slowly begins to slide the door open slightly to peer inside where Anna's form was laid out asleep on her futon. Hao grinned at the figured sprawled out on the futon. Anna was truly his now he thought. The feeling of victory flooded throughout his veins, but he decided to leave his reunion with her until later. There was no real hurry. He had a lifetime left to live in Yoh's body. He closed the door softly and began to head outside. He had some other things that he wanted to take care of first. He disappeared into the night, eager to continue with his original plans that Yoh had thwarted before.

Amidamaru sat on the roof and watched Yoh's figure disappear into the distance. An unsettling feeling came over him as he had watched Yoh leave. 'Where was Yoh-dono going off to.' He wondered and what was this feeling that he was experiencing, this sense of unknown danger that was approaching. He wanted to share what he was feeling with Yoh, but Yoh had wandered off on his own which was uncommon of him. 'Perhaps to investigate something.' Amidamaru wondered, but what he didn't understand the most was why he had been left behind. Maybe Anna would know, but when Amidamaru went down into Anna's room. She was already awake and sat in the windowsill looking out into the night's sky.

"Anna-dono?" She took a moment before she replied and did not spare a glance at the samurai spirit.

"Something has happened." Amidamaru stared at his mistress hoping that she would elaborate, but no explanation came so he went back to his own musings about what was happening that even Anna-dono would notice.

Anna's hand began to tremble after Amidamaru left. She clenched her hand into a fist to stop it from shaking so much. Something was happening though she could not exactly put her finger on it. She had been unable to read Yoh's thoughts as he had left the house, but she had sensed his presence when he had come to her room. One moment it felt as if it was Yoh, the next it felt as if it was someone else and with Yoh's sudden departure of the house. She didn't understand what was going on. It was uncommon for Yoh to run out on his own without her being able to at least read his thoughts. Something else was going on. She could feel it and it wasn't a good feeling.


	3. Change

Disclaimers:  I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me.  Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing.  Based on after ep 64 of the anime since I haven't gotten the manga or read the manga yet.  May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all 64 eps of the anime series.    

© April 2003

Chapter 3 –  Change

Hao has taken over the body of Yoh.  He disappears into the night every night, but not before checking up on Anna by peeking in through her door.  Yoh didn't dare set foot in Anna's room as be was binding his time with other matters until the moment that would come when he would approach the wife of Asukura.  Manta had suddenly been called away on a family affair to go to Europe for a while to deal with some family matters before he would be able to return back to Japan so it was left up to Anna to train Yoh.  Ren had returned back to China, but had commented that he was sure that his sister would send him back baring gifts to Yoh again.  Yoh merely smiled and nodded as Ren and Manta had left.  

Yoh no longer complained and began to spend less time with Amidamaru unless the training required for the spirit to be present, but merely smiled at Anna when she would tell him to prepare food or when it came to training.  Yoh seemed to struggle less each day during training, barely showing signs of fatigue no matter how much training that Anna would put him through.  She had not meant to push him so hard, but his attitude lately has caused her to push him harder since she had noticed that something had happened that night.  She had known that something had happened, but she hadn't known that it would be a change in Yoh.  Yoh had not brought up the fact that he had heard a voice that night before so Anna had let the subject drop since Yoh had seemed to accept the fact that he had perhaps been dreaming that night.  

The Yoh that she had known so well had finally changed it seemed and she wasn't sure if it was for the best or not.  He had seemed to gain some form of strength, endurance to anything that she required of him or perhaps something even beyond that.  Though in the past Yoh had always struggled and pushed himself to become stronger.  He had endured everything especially her training so that he could make his dream a reality, but he had always struggled every step of the way toward the dream and constantly put up with the abuse that the Itako would force upon him.  She would notice when he was no longer struggling and would increase his training accordingly as to how she saw fit so that he would become stronger.  Anna had always watched him from a distance and had seen his strength progress throughout the years.  She had always known that he had potential, but she had not known that such power would fall upon him so suddenly and quiet so soon that she began to wonder was there a need for her anymore.  

Since that night that she had felt something happen, this new Yoh of unlimited strength seemed to radiate before her special super extreme training to the point that it would frustrate her to train him.  She had always amused herself when it came to training him, but she wondered if there was anything that she could train him with now that would make him stronger than he already was.  He seemed to watch her more often when he thought that she wasn't looking, but she could feel his eyes on her.  She had noticed him staring at her and when she would turn to look at him.  He would be looking off somewhere as if there was something interesting there and it was also beginning to get harder to read his thoughts.  At night she couldn't tell what he was thinking when he would run off though she never said anything to him about leaving at those times, but during the day his mind continued to be the same as before or so she thought as he seemed to think about nothing, but becoming more stronger so that he can become Shaman King so that he can live an easy life.  And for a moment once, she swore she could have read that he wanted to live an easy life with her, but the thought had only lasted for a second that she assumed that the thought had been hers since she had not slept that much the night before.  She had taken to staying up late at night to ponder over Yoh's recent actions.  

Hao pushed himself as the days went by and he found himself falling into the role of Yoh's daily duties and training.  Yoh's body seemed to be already in shape enough that when Anna would instruct him in some sort of vigorous training.  He would accept the task and do as she instructed.  He allowed his mind to have complete control of his new body and forgot all pain.  His mind would focus on Anna at those moments though he made sure that she would pick up only certain thoughts.  It didn't matter is she was beside him or far away.  He could still imagine her as he had so many times after their first meeting.  He had always wanted to make her his though he had never experienced such a feeling before and took great pride that such a woman had been chosen to wed into the Asakura's.  Through all the years, he had never known a woman like her to exist and as he was able to spend each day under her careful watch.  He wondered what it would be like to have someone like her be so loyal to him like she had been to Yoh and she had demonstrated several times before the strength that she wielded.  

For a moment Yoh paused in what he was doing and stopped to look toward the door that lead into the hallway.  His thoughts centered on Anna yet again.  What would it be like to have a child with such a woman?  The question shocked him as he turned back to finish making lunch since the thought had never entered his mind.  It was the weekend and he found himself beginning to train less as the weeks passed.  When he would approach Anna and ask what he should do for the day.  She would give him something simple to do and that he cooks.  He kept finding himself with more free time than he knew what to do with because only the nights were his to use and be himself.  His days were spent at school and with Anna training.  So far everything seemed to be working out fine and there had been no signs of Yoh being able to reclaim his body.  He smiled as be was setting the table and putting out the food.  Anna walked in.  

"Is it ready yet?"  Yoh looked up and continued to smile at her as his gaze centered on her.  

"Yes."  Anna glanced at the food that he had set out that lined across the table.  There had been an improvement to his cooking skills since that night of the change also, but she found herself being watched by him again.  

"Yoh."  He seemed to snap out of it and straighten his body in response to her calling.  The response was more so due to the fact that she continued to call him Yoh and he wondered what it would be like for her to call his name for once, his real name though he had heard it before in a menacing tone from her lips, but never in a good way.  

"Yes?!"  

"You're staring again."

"Oh!"  He realized it then as he looked away and they began to sit down at the table.  He wanted to hear her say his name as if she cared.  The same way she was able to say Yoh.  


	4. the Plot

Disclaimers:  I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me.  Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing.  Based on after ep 64 of the anime since I haven't gotten the manga or read the manga yet.  May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all 64 eps of the anime series.    

© April 2003

Chapter 4 – The plot

Hao called himself a fool as these feelings for Anna began to bother him more.  A very long time ago he had women that he would use, but never had he allowed those women to use him in such a way that Anna used him.  He told himself that it was only because he was carrying on the role of Yoh, that he was doing what Yoh would normally do since it wasn't time yet for everyone to know that he was back.  That is why he continued to follow her orders though it caused chaos inside him when he wasn't able to be with her.  He spent his nights tracking down those that had once followed him.  Many had fallen and lost their way after his death, but after seeing him reappear.  Their spirits grew and they followed him once again.  He spent his time wisely and resurrected Spirit of Fire.  Yoh and Amidamaru had already destroyed Hao's body along with his spirit.  Spirit of Fire was in many ways a part of Hao.  The fact that Yoh and his human spirit had been able to defeat him and Spirit of Fire troubled Hao.  He needed Spirit of Fire to become stronger.  An idea began to form in the back of his mind though he wasn't sure if it would be possible.  "There's only one way to find out."  He heard himself say out loud, but the empty room answered him with silence.  He was going to work on a plan that included both powerful spirits.  The more time he spent training with Amidamaru, the more he began to understand how the samurai spirit worked.  He planned to use it to its full advantage before he was through.  

He wrapped his cloak around his shoulders as he was heading out that night.  He continued to wear Yoh's clothes, but his cloak covered him making it appear as if he was his former self.  His facial expressions continued to be those of his little brother's.  He spent his nights in the woods along side a campfire as he plotted his every move.  Once he had walked over to a river and peered into it's shallow depths only to see Yoh staring back at him.  It had filled him with an unknown feeling that he had never experienced before.  He refused to look at his body's reflection.  The moment that he had first appeared again before them, they could hardly believe that he was alive and they had believed that it was just Asakura Yoh trying to play some trick on them.  Hao had proved his point to them that it was indeed Hao that stood before them.  There were moments since then that he stood among his followers and would feel their keen gaze upon him. They too seemed to gaze at him with different eyes.  After first noticing their constant stares, he turned toward one of them.  

"What is it?"   

"Has something happened to you, Hao-sama?"

"What do you mean?"  Hao turned to stare at the Shaman that stood a few feet away from him.  

"It's just that, Hao-sama.  You seem to be tense lately and.."  

"Tense?  Don't fucking kid me.  My plans are working accordingly.  I have nothing  to worry about."  The Shaman nodded.

"Because Yoh-sama isn't around anymore."  The Shaman quickly covered his mouth as he realized that he had spoken out loud.  

"Shut up."  The Shaman took a step back in surprise.  

"Yes, Hao-sama."  He replied as he dropped his hands back down to his sides.  Another Shaman stepped forward. 

"Hao-sama?"  The other Shaman had noticed the display of emotions play across Hao's face.  

"Leave."  The Shamans gathered around Hao turned to look at him.  

"But Hao-sama.."  Hao cut the other Shaman off with a wave of his hand.  

"Leave, all of you."  The group of Shamans nodded and began to walk off.  

He found himself alone again.  He gazed deep into the fire's depth, staring into the flames. His thoughts lost in the embers of the fire. When had my life become a joke he wondered. When had it become so simple.. so carefree? Hao raised his hand and looked at it. It was Yoh's hand. Was it the moment I started to live through Yoh? He lowered his hand and closed his eyes. All those moments that I spent with Anna, could it have effected me? Have I changed? So many questions plagued Hao and he opened his eyes to stare into the fire. It held no answers for him.

 It was becoming harder for him to keep his emotions in check and hidden from the others.  He believed that it was all the fault of Yoh's body.  Being in the body of his younger brother was turning out to be tougher than he had thought it would be.  Yoh's body was causing Hao's emotions to run wilder.  Hao found himself struggling with so many things since his recent return.  He wondered how much longer things would be like this before he would be able to return to being his old self.  

He had stopped to look in on Anna before he had left the house that night.  For a moment he had dared to open the door all the way and was going to enter her room when he had noticed her roll over.  He had quickly shut the door as his heart had began to race.  He was able to leave the house after slowly calming himself.  Such feelings are foolishness he told himself and felt himself becoming angry.  He forced himself to push such thoughts aside.  

He decided that tonight he would let his body rest since he had not slept since he had taken over Yoh's body over two weeks ago.  He lied down a little ways away from the raging flames and felt himself begin to drift off to sleep.  He had forgotten how good it felt to just rest for a moment.  He forgot about his foolish new feelings that seemed to overwhelm him lately.  

Anna had left the house a few moments after Yoh and she brought Amidamaru with her.  They tried to follow Yoh, but lost sight of him.  

"Find Yoh."  Anna told the spirit and he disappeared to find his friend.  Anna also searched the area for any signs of Yoh, but was unable to find anything.  Amidamaru appeared before his mistress sadly shaking his head.  

"I'm sorry, Anna-dono, but Yoh-dono has disappeared with no trace.  I cannot find him anywhere."  

"Hm."  Anna closed her eyes.  Amidamaru watched and waited for his mistress's orders.  She opened her eyes.  "It's going to rain soon."  Amidamaru looked up toward the heavens and noticed for the first time that gray clouds had been gathering.  "We'll just head back and wait."  Amidamaru nodded and followed his mistress.  What is happening to Yoh-dono he wondered as they walked off?  

Yoh quickly sat up and looked around.  Am I still dreaming he wondered as he viewed the scene around him?  A fire blazed not too far from him and the woods surrounded him.  He knew where he was.  He had finally done it.  He had returned.  He noticed the cloak that was wrapped around his body as he began to stand up.  He had been trying to get back to stop Hao.  Everything seemed to run different in his inner world.  He had lost track of how much time had passed since Hao had reappeared to him.  He started to walk out of the woods.  He knew that it had not been a dream.  Hao had come back through his body.  He had no idea what Hao had done in his body while he had been taken over.  Yoh only could hope that the others were okay and that Hao had not hurt anyone using his body.  

Yoh striped off the cloak and tossed it to the side as he came into the house.  

"Amidamaru!  Anna!"  No one answered as he ran toward the rooms.  He found no one in the house.  There was no sign of Anna, only an empty bed.  Amidamaru's tablet was nowhere to be found.  Had something really happened to everyone he wondered.  Had Hao done something to cause everyone to leave?  Perhaps he had everyone locked away somewhere?  Yoh tried to search through his memories in hope that he would find something of Hao's recent memories, but couldn't remember anything that had happened. That voice had been the last thing that he had heard before he had been left alone to fend for himself.  It was more of an out of body state of being as he lived and fought in the dream for a way to be able to return, but no matter what he did.  He found no way, no openings, nothing that would hint as to a way to return to the normal world.  He had never given up hope because he wanted to see everyone again.  He had worried over what evil things that Hao would be doing to everyone.  

 Yoh ran outside the house and noticed the sky was filled with gray clouds.  It was going to rain.  He hadn't noticed the weather change so much earlier.  He didn't bother to turn around and get an umbrella.  He was worried about the others.  He wanted to go look for them while he still had time before the rain would begin to fall.  Yoh wasn't quick enough as the clouds opened up and the rain began to fall.  He didn't let it stop him as he ran down the streets.  His eyes searched as he pushed on in hopes of finding some sign of the others.  

"Yoh!"  Yoh stopped in his tracks as a voice that he knew called out to him.  He turned around and looked into the distance.   A figure was walking toward him, but he knew the voice well.  It was Anna and he could see the shape of something floating beside Anna.  He was sure that it was Amidamaru.  Yoh smiled as relief flooded through him.  They were safe.  Yoh took off at a sprint toward the two.  

"Amidamaru!  Anna!"  He called out to them and waved.  His smile seemed to brighten  the closer he got to them.  He closed his eyes for what seemed like a second as his smile radiated.  The next moment he found himself loosing his balance as the ground slipped out from under him, the force of gravity pulling him down and into darkness.  


	5. Talk

Disclaimers:  I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me.  Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing.  May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all of the anime series, read the manga or heard the drama cds.  Though I haven't read the manga at the time that I'm wrote this.      

© May 2003

Chapter 5 - Talk

Hao found himself surrounded by darkness.  "Yoh?"  He asked, but there was only silence and the darkness.  "Where have you gone off to now dear brother."  He called out playfully though there was no reply.  He looked around and wondered what exactly was going on in the mind of his little brother.  Was Yoh angry?  Perhaps bitter?  Feeling abandoned? Would he continue to smile or has he finally realized what people are capable of doing and how fragile the human heart is?  He felt himself becoming a bit agitated.  "You can't hide forever Yoh."  Hao stated.  The darkness continued to hide Yoh, but Hao knew that he would find him.  "So you want to play?  Fine with me.  Games are always fun especially when they envolves sweet, little, lost lambs like you Yoh." Hao smiled evily at his own words as all kinds of images formed in his mind as to what he could do to everyone if it pleased him in the least bit.  Every test that Hao had mentioned before to Yoh had all resulted in Hao's favor.  Everything seemed to be working out fine for Hao.  He refused to let Yoh get into the way of his plans this time.  

Yoh finally appeared several feet away lying on the ground.  Yoh slowly sat up and stared into the darkness around him.  

"What happened?" 

"Ah ha, what's this?"  Yoh stood up and turned around to face the voice that refused to allow him to live his own life. 

"Hao."  Hao read Yoh's mind and realized what had happened. 

"You've been trying to run off on your own again and leave me behind?"  Hao walked over to Yoh and frowned.  "I'm hurt."  Yoh glared at him. 

"Stop messing around and tell me what you did!"  Hao's frown faded.  Hao leaned back.  There was nothing there, but since this was a place made up of one's mind.  Anything was possible.  Something was propping him up as he lazily, laid against it. 

"Messing around?  Why, I wouldn't dream of it.  Did?  I haven't done anything.. yet."  Hao smiled brightly for his brother.  "I have missed you so Yoh.  I know now that you live a rough life..  Or is it not so rough of a life?"  Yoh continued to glare at Hao as he paused, lost in his own thoughts. "Have you realized it yet?"  

"What are you talking about?"  Yoh walked over and sat down on a rock that seemed to materialize out of no where.  Yoh decided to calm himself and sat indian style as he watched his older brother.  He hated the fact that his brother could get under his skin, but with his out of hand antics always happening.  Yoh knew that he had his work cut out for him if he was planning to keep up with his older brother.  Hao closed his eyes and pointed a finger to his chin thoughtfully.  

"That everything is going according to plan."  Yoh narrowed his eyes at Hao.  

"Explain."  Yoh noticed the thoughtful gesture from Hao and wondered about such a display.  Had he never noticed before that his brother made such gestures.  Yoh slowly shook his head to try and clear it so that he could focus on what was at hand.  Trying to keep Hao from doing what he wanted.  

"This."  Hao opened his eyes and motioned toward everything.  "That this was all planned out by me."  Hao smiled again.  "It was as simple as plan B."  Hao pushed himself away from whatever he had been leaning against and walked over to Yoh.  "I knew that you were capable of killing me.  You have my power afterall, but I didn't believe that you would be able to pull it off."  Hao looked down at Yoh and shrugged.  "But it seems that you were able to make a come back at the last minute.  When I thought that I had completely defeated you and that you had returned to me."  Hao frowned at his little brother. "After I went to all that trouble.  You were so weak and needed that little push though the Itako pushed you plenty."  Hao grinned as the mention of Anna brought back some pretty tough times and bad memories for Yoh.  Yoh closed his eyes tightly and turned his head slightly away from Hao.  "Are you ignoring me?"  Yoh didn't respond as he tried to block the horrible images of Anna's wraith directed on him during those long hours of training.  Hao let out a long sigh.  "And even now you continue to resist."  

"Of course."  Yoh's mind began to clear again.  He wanted to be with Anna and everyone again even if it meant having to go back to Anna's special training.  There had been moments that Yoh remembered all too well when Anna was beside him and not yelling at him, but it had always been moments when it was just the two of them.  He felt almost safer when it was just Anna and him since there existed an understanding between the two of them.  Anna knew him too well and knew when it was time to give Yoh the push that he needed.  "I'll stop you again."  Hao's brow lifted a little at Yoh's words.  "I'm not about to let you take over my life again, Hao.  I already defeated you once."  Yoh smiled weakly at Hao.  "Anna would never approve if I were to let you kill me again.  She's already gone through alot because of us."  Hao looked away from Yoh as he pondered about it.  

"You are right..  I hadn't really thought of that."  Yoh lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug thinking that Hao hadn't been around Anna as long as he had so he didn't know half the things that Yoh had gone through just to be able to approach his fiancee without having to suffer anymore because of lack of control.  

"I'm ready to move on with my life, away from the destiny that you caused me to have."  Yoh turned his head toward Hao and opened his eyes.  "I'm going to become Shaman King and live an easy life."  Yoh grinned at Hao.  

"Ah, boring."  

"With Anna."  Hao twitched slightly at the mention that Yoh regarded her in such a way.  "And with everyone else."  Yoh stared at his brother.  "Maybe things could have been different."  Hao's gaze traveled over to Yoh. 

"Different?"   Hao supressed his laugther.  Hao walked over to Yoh and narrowed his eyes at his little brother. "Nothing could be different.  This is who I am.  This is what humans, what history has made me become.  You are a part of me and had become a part of me again.  You've seen my memories, the doubt and fear that humans held toward me all because I was a Shaman.  Because I was too powerful." 

"People fear and hate what they don't understand.  It was a long time ago, Hao." 

"And it continues to happen even in this present day and time!  Those that follow me do so of their own free will.  They have faced the wraith of the human heart before.  They want to rise above that.  They want to exist in a world of Shamans where the Earth can return back to its former beauty and never be trifled on again by human hands." Yoh cut Hao off before he could continue on anymore.  

"Maybe if you haven't put up a fight with our parents when we were born.  Things could have been different."  Hao laughed. 

"Did you know that they were going to kill us?"  Yoh stared at Hao. 

"Not at first, but I.." Yoh had only recently learned what truely happened at that time not to long ago when his father had explained the Hao and Yoh's birth to everyone.  

"They were going to kill us because they knew that I would be reborn.  They only allowed you to live because of me.  It didn't bother them that the fact was that you were a part of me, but they planned to use you from the start little brother.  They were going to use you to defeat me.  Their creator.  Its because of me that you all existed and yet they continue to fight me."  Hao shrugged.  "It doesn't matter." 

"But if you had stayed and been raised by our parents like I was.." 

"It doesn't matter." 

"You would have realized that there was more to life.  That perhaps things would have..." 

"Silence!" 

"Hao, talk to me!" 

"You know nothing, Yoh."  Hao motioned to the darkness around him and the scene changed.  "This is what you know."  It was the Asakura house and the surrounding area around it.  It was a peaceful area that spirits dwelled and lived in harmony with the Shamans in the area, namely the Asakuras.  Hao motioned again and the darkness returned.  "This is what I know." 

"Hao.." 

"Did you know Yoh.."  Hao closed his eyes for a moment and released the breath that he hadn't noticed he had been holding in.  "About Matamune?"  Hao opened his eyes and stared at Yoh.  For a moment Yoh could have sworn that he saw a painful look in Hao's eyes, but then it vanished as Hao's stern gaze rested on him.  Yoh went stiff at Hao's gaze and slowly nodded.  "He was... my friend and also one of my spirts.  It was because of the Asakura's that he was taken from me.  To the point that he was turned against me.  It funny... betrayl.  Its a funny thing, isn't it?"  An evil grin formed on Hao's lips.  

"I wouldn't know.."  Yoh said softly.  

"But you will."  

"What are you going on about, Hao?"  

"What its like for a friend.."  Hao paused and seemed to be lost in thought as an old memory flashed through his mind as a certain neko once stood beside him.  Hao closed his eyes for a brief second and pushed such images away.  He opened his eyes again and centered them on Yoh for a moment.  "For a brother to betray you."  Yoh stared at Hao.  Hao's smiled had faded and his gaze seemed to be focused off to the side.  He was no longer looking at Yoh.  Hao was serious and hiding his emotions though Yoh could feel something.  This bond that always existed between the two though he didn't quite understand it.  

"Is that so?"  Hao refused to be convinced by Yoh's lack of enthusasuim.  He noticed the sweatdrop of doubt appear on Yoh's forehead.  "Is it really worth it Yoh?"  Hao stared at Yoh with a serious expression trying to read into his little brother as much as possible.  Yoh nodded.  

"To be with everyone.. even Anna.  Its worth it."  Hao walked over to Yoh and reached out to grab him.  Yoh scooted out of Hao's reach, but he wasn't fast enough as Hao shoved him.  Yoh tried to keep his balance, but was unable to do so as he was sitting indian style and felt himself falling off the rock.  He let out a yelp as his back hit the ground and the rock that he had been sitting on disappeared.  

"That's what you get for talking to your aniki that way.  And now if you will excuse me."  Hao turned and began to walk away.  "I'm going to return to the real world.  And to that sweet Anna of yours."  Hao waved as he disappeared.  Yoh tried to get up quick enough, but it wasn't fast enough for Hao's figure had disappeared.  

"Hao!"  

A/N:  Thank you everyone for your reviews since I most definitely read them all.  Sorry that I hardly reply to anyones reviews, but reviews are what keeps me writing fics.  That way I know if an idea for a fic is worth writing or not.  I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter cause I wasn't sure just what all I wanted to happen.  It turned out that when I first wrote it.  I ended up breaking it down into three chapters so I have my ideas for the next couple of chapters, but I was ify about what all was going on inside of Yoh's head.  A talk between the two seemed like the best idea for right now.  I recently bought the drama cds and listened to them so I know a lot more about what is going on in the manga though it sucks that I won't be able to incorporate it into my story, but I might just start another fic envolving more of Matamune.  Look forward to more chapters coming in the future.  And feel free to nag away so that I'll write faster, hehe.  ^^  


	6. Wounds

Disclaimers: I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me. Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing. May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all of the anime series, read the manga or heard the drama cds. Though I haven't read the manga at the time that I'm wrote this so bare with me.

© May 2003

Chapter 6 - Wounds

"Yoh?" Anna sat beside Yoh's body that was laid out on his futon. Amidamaru hovered above in hopes that his friend would wake up. "Yoh, can you hear me?" Anna tried again to wake Yoh up, but he didn't respond. "Damnit Yoh." Anna released the breath that she had been holding and examined the bruise on Yoh's forehead. They had noticed Yoh walking in the distance when Anna had called his name. Yoh had begun to run toward them when he slipped and fell. Yoh had hit his head on the curb of the street. Blood had begun to fill the street drains by the time they had caught up to Yoh's unconscious form. They had rushed him to the hospital only to find that he would pull through fine if he would just wake up.

The doctors didn't know what kind of damage had been done to him. They would be able to find out if he would wake up and that's if he woke up. Yoh had begun to form a slight fever over night, but they had been able to keep the fever from getting any worse than it already was. The doctors had tried to keep Yoh in the hospital after the fever had passed, but Anna had wanted to take him home with her. Someone had died that night while they were staying in the hospital from a similar accident and it had left her feeling that it was a bad omen to remain there any longer. It wasn't until Faust had shown up that they had been allowed them to take Yoh home.

Faust had taken care of Yoh all day and was now resting with his wife. Anna had taken it upon herself to check up on Yoh several times during the day. It had bothered her that he hadn't woken up so far. It was getting close to almost being 24 hours since he had lost consciousness and she couldn't sense anything coming from Yoh.

Anna slowly reached out and touched Yoh's hand. Amidamaru noticed the gesture from his mistress and frowned. He knew that she was worried about Yoh, but no one knew if or when Yoh would wake up. Amidamaru spiritual form faded from the room as he reappeared on the roof to wait for his master and friend to wake up. Until then he would give his mistress a moment alone with the one that she loved so much.

Anna's gaze rested on Yoh's pale hand that was covered by her own. The color had drained from Yoh's skin and she found herself wanting to see Yoh's smile again.

She had already lost Yoh once and even now she could remember that horrible feeling of being alone again. When it all came down to it, Yoh was the only thing that she really had. It was because of him that she was alive and it is because of him that she will be allowed to have a future, a future with him. Through Yoh she would be able to finally become part of a family that would really accept her and perhaps even love her. The Asakura's were a long line of powerful Shamans mainly due to Hao being their ancestor. They had even shared with her their deep, dark secret, and the truth about Asakura Hao. It had all been part of her training so that one day she would be able to help Yoh in his battle against Hao.

"Do you remember Yoh?" Anna asked though she knew there would be no reply. She didn't wait long to continue on because she knew that wherever he was he was listening because he knew better than to ignore her. He didn't have a choice in the matter. His unconscious form continued to lie across the futon not moving. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest told Anna that he was still alive. She could feel that Yoh was listening to her. He always listened and seemed to know what to do in her time of needs. Even when he had died, he had come back and the first person that he had talked to was she. She wondered if he had seen the look of relief and shock of seeing him get up and say something to her. It had all been too much. Anna squeezed his hand. "Yoh..."

The memories came flooding back through her mind to when they were 10 years old. She could remember it as if it was yesterday, the first time meeting Yoh, the Oni and even Matamune. She hadn't been able to control the power that burned inside of her and she hadn't known what to do with herself. Her family had abandoned her and left her to fend for herself as her powers ran wild. It was then that the Asakura family had approached her and showed interest in her. She had only wanted somewhere to go to since she had nowhere. Even when she met Yoh, she thought that he was weak and believed that he would just leave her alone. She hadn't wanted to endanger anyone. She just wanted to learn to control her powers and the Asakura's offered her that kind of training. What more could she have done, she believed that she was doing the right thing. The Asakura's even accepted that at that time she could create an Oni with her powers though she wasn't able to control it.

The engagement had happened and she had readily agreed to it when the Asakura's had asked her. She didn't know what else that she could do with herself in return for the only kindness she had ever received from anyone was from the Asakura's. She hadn't known that Yoh would turn out to be the person that he was. That within his personality laid a deep kindness that touched her in more ways than she had thought possible. She had learned from the start his lazy habits and just how to deal with him. Being trained by Yoh's grandmother, Kino had been experience as she had been trained specifically on how to handle Yoh.

Anna felt herself becoming sleepy so she laid her head down onto Yoh's futon though she kept her hand covered over Yoh's still. "Hurry up and wake up, baka." As her eyes became heavy and began to shut, she whispered. "You can be so useless at times, Yoh… and stop making me worry about you or I'll increase your special training by a hundred times…" She was lost in a dream of the past.

Amidamaru lied on the roof as he stared up at the heavens and asked. "Will Yoh-dono wake up, Mosuke?" There was no reply so Amidamaru closed his eyes, as he knew the answer that his best friend would give.

'Of course, Yoh-san will wake up! He's strong and defeated Hao. He wouldn't something like a street curb gets the best of him. You baka!' Mosuke would then punch Amidamaru across the face. 'Do you not have enough faith in your master that he would give up so easily on life!' Amidamaru nodded.

"Your right, Mosuke." He opened his eyes and grinned at the clouds that soared above. "Yoh-dono has many things that he has yet to do before he can leave this world and the mistress would never allow him to leave that easily." He continued to stare up into the sky feeling a bit of relief and comfort remembering was it was like to talk with his best friend, but then a bit of sadness entered his heart again. "I don't want to lose another friend, Mosuke.. What can I do to prevent it this time?" Amidamaru waited for an answer, but there came none. He wondered why Mosuke wasn't answering him and then he remembered that Mosuke had passed over to the other world. One friend was already gone though Anna could call him back when the need arose, but he found himself wanting to hear the voice of a friend. "Yoh-dono…" Tears began to form in Amidamaru's eyes though he held it in as he lay there. He refused to let them fall because he knew he had to keep faith that his master would wake up. "Wake up soon."

Hao slowly opened the eyes of Yoh's body and felt something on his hand. He looked over to find Anna's hand covering his own. 'Anna..' Hao felt it again. The feeling of envy that he felt for what his little brother had. The Itako always showed such loyalty in Yoh. Anna's hand seemed to tighten for a moment on his hand and then loosen again. Hao wondered if there was something wrong. He was able to pick up something going on in her head. She was dreaming. Yoh and Anna sat in a room listening to Boblove's song. It was the first time that they spent together as they were getting to know one another better. Yoh had even listened to Anna's music though Anna had called his music weird. She felt herself drifting even farther into the dream and into the past of when Yoh shared with her his dream of wanting to become Shaman King and that it was the reason why she continued to fight.

Hao felt it as he was reliving the memories of Yoh. Matamune was fighting against the Oni. Yoh was amazed by Matamune's strength and believed that Matamune would defeat the Oni, but Anna's words shocked him.

"If he continues fighting. He'll die." Yoh had shouted out to stop the fight, for Matamune to stop, but the nekomata refused to listen. The Oni attacked Yoh and wounded him as it took Anna hostage and ran away. Yoh had been left with Matamune. Hao felt the anger flow through him. At that moment Yoh had never know what it was like to be angry with himself for letting the Oni take Anna away and it wasn't until Matamune had talked some sense into Yoh that he had been able to calm down and think about it all.

Yoh went to save Anna only to find the Oni had left her alone to drown in her own sorrows. Anna wanted to die. Matamune explained to Yoh that the only way to save Anna was to Hyoii Gattai with him and kill the Oni even though it meant that Matamune would have to use all his powers to destroy the Oni. It would also send him into the next world and he would not be able to appear again in the human world, but to save Anna. He had to do it.

"Matamune.." Anna's eyelids fluttered and she suddenly sat up.

"Yoh!" Anna was pulled out of her dream and out from the past as she saw an awake Yoh before her. He smiled at her as he fought back the tears that he felt were beginning to form. Hao didn't know if it was because of what he was feeling or was it because Yoh's body was weaker than his owns. Hao was feeling many things as he saw Anna's brief look of relief that he had woken up. He was flooded again with the memories of what he had just experienced. The loyalty that Matamune, his former friend, had shown toward Yoh. Matamune had sacrificed himself so that Anna would be free. He had given up his place with Yoh so that Anna could have it and in doing so, Hao had been given the opportunity to meet her. A tear slide down Hao's cheek and landed on the hand that he just noticed was covering his own. "Yoh, what's wrong?" Anna stared intently at him, but she couldn't read his mind. It continued to be a jumble of mixed feelings and blocked thoughts.

Hao continued to grin at Anna. "I was dreaming.. about Matamune." And then Hao broke down and cried. He couldn't hold it back anymore.

The betrayal of his friend had been too much in the past. It had ended his life in the end, but even Matamune knew that his master would be reborn. Hao had not known that Matamune would turn against him. That the nekomata that he had created from a mere cat had harbored such doubts in Hao in the end. He didn't understand why Matamune had never approached him to just try talking to him about it since it was Hao that had given him the ability to speak. Hao didn't understand until now. Someone greater, the Great Spirit, had planned it all out. Matamune would come to sacrifice himself for his new master, Yoh, in hopes that his former master, Hao, would forgive him for his lack in believing in his master's reasons for wanting to create the Shaman Kingdom. Matamune had helped to kill Hao in hopes that it would put his masters lost soul to rest. Hao had always believed that above anyone else. Matamune would have understood the hardships that he had endured for being a Shaman and how the humans refused to understand. Matamune's decision allowed for Anna to push Yoh to be stronger as she watched over him after that, but Matamune knew all along that he was leaving Yoh in good hands. Hao wondered if Matamune would have known that he would feel this way about Anna.

Hao rested his head on the lap of Anna as his tears fell unchecked.

Anna stared in shock at Yoh as he moved to rest his head on her lap. She almost pushed him away instantly, but thought that he must have hit his head too hard to be as brave as to set his head on her lap. She still couldn't make out what he was thinking, but his tears bothered her. Hao felt that the emotions were too overwhelming in the body of Yoh and the new memories harsh. He knew that Yoh hadn't lived an easy life. Yoh had lived as complicated life as he had and even had the scars to prove it. "It hurts, Anna.." Hao pulled back the front flap of his open shirt to reveal one of the scars that Yoh had received from the fight with the Oni as he was reliving the pain from the scars.

Anna closed her eyes at the sight of it wanting to just forget about that battle that had affected their lives so much, but she knew she couldn't just push it all away with the cost that they had all paid. Yoh had paid the greatest price of all of them. Anna opened her eyes and looked at Yoh. The tears were continuing to fall and she could see the pain in his expression. She had never seen a side like this of Yoh, one that was so vulnerable. She had known that Yoh was changing, but she hadn't expected this. She felt her hand itching to slap him, but didn't as she felt that she too was changing. For once she found Yoh being serious and not fooling around. She didn't know what to do.

Anna did the next thing that she could think of. She reached out and touched the scar, leaning forward and kissing the scar. Hao sucked in a breath at the feel of warm lips on the scarred tissue of his skin. Anna wondered if the simple kiss would be enough to heal Yoh's wounds, but she knew better and hoped that the feeling behind it would count in easing the pain that Yoh was feeling as his tears had lessoned.

"Will you stay with me, Anna?" He wanted to add always after Anna nodded.

"Of course, I am the wife of Asakura Yoh." A new sadness entered Hao's gaze as he realized what she had said. She hadn't said that she would marry the Shaman King, but that she was already the wife of Yoh. She couldn't stand the look in his eyes so she lied down beside him and closed her eyes. "Go to sleep, Yoh. You need your rest." She was very relieved that he had woken up, but she knew that he would still be weak from the loss of blood and that he needed rest more than anything else, even if she had to lie down next to him to get him to rest. Hao reached out and wrapped an arm around Anna's waist and pulled her closer to him. "What are you doing, Yoh!" She was ready to kick his ass.

"Just for now. Please Anna.." Anna sighed and finally gave in as he continued to look at her with sad filled eyes. She reached out as if she was going to slap him, but as her hand came down. He didn't flinch as he continued to stare at her and she patted his cheek.

"Go to sleep, baka." Hao slowly nodded and closed his eyes holding Anna close to him. Anna could see the tears still coming through his closed eyes. She hesitated and then wrapped an arm around his waist loosely in return. "Go to sleep, Yoh." She closed her own eyes too as she couldn't bare to see him cry anymore or she would have to beat some sense back into him. She found that she was able to easily fall back asleep since she hadn't slept much because of him. 'It's all your fault, baka.' Were her last thoughts as she drifted off to sleep.

Hao continued to lay there with his eyes closed, but the tears wouldn't stop. Every time that Anna would call him Yoh, he felt as if the world around him would end because he was living a lie. He was living Yoh's life yet he believed that Yoh was him, that Yoh was a part of him and that what was Yoh's should be his own. Yet as he lied there with Anna wrapped around him and him wrapped around Anna. He realized that Yoh and him were very different and had many things in common. New wounds were forming inside of him as he felt the warmth of the person that he was falling in love with next to him and began to wonder if he should have just stayed dead instead of returning in Yoh's body only to suffer all over again. 'Could this be punishment for the things I've done wrong or am I am I still learning what its like to live? Yoh… do you ever feel this way, little brother?'

A/N: I just wanted to point out that Anna only calls Yoh donna once when she first met him though he didn't know who she was(according to drama cds). Yeah, my Japanese sucks, but you must hear the drama cds for yourself to understand. Don't just read the manga! Or just watch the anime series, but get the drama cds! They are WELL worth it! Especially for Yona fans. Yoh has always called Anna, Anna since he first learned her name. He even practiced saying her name which Matamune noticing him doing while taking a bath and teased him about it cause the way Yoh was acting.. you could say that he was interested though he is always thinking that Anna is cute even when she is scary and he gets slapped a lot for it. Kawaii! XD

Side note: The Shaman King drama cds are called Osorezan Revoir Prologue to Shaman and Osorezan revoir Au Revoir. Please support the series by buying your copies. Can be bought at w w w.cdjapan .co .jp or off ebay. Ebay is usually bootlegs so be careful of what your buying.


	7. Last Night

Disclaimers:  I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me.  Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing.  May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all of the anime series, read the manga or heard the drama cds.  Though I haven't read the manga at the time that I'm wrote this so bare with me.      

© May 2003

Chapter 7 – Last Night

Yoh looked up from his meditation.  'Yoh… do you ever feel this way, little brother?'  It was that voice again.  

"Hao?"  Yoh could feel it, the overwhelming loneliness that was building up inside of him.  The feelings were Hao's and it caused Yoh to remember a time when he felt that he was just as alone.  Something had changed that.  Someone had affected his life that much.  Yoh closed his eyes and turned back to the task at hand.  He cleared his mind of everything though a faint thought stayed in his mind.  'I want to go back... back to Anna.'  And then Yoh's mind became completely blank.  

Anna paced back and forth across the living room.  'What is wrong with Yoh?'  She kept asking herself.  In all the years that she had known Yoh, she had never once seen him cry like that before.  Sure, there had many times when he cried from the pain of constant, life-threatening training from her or her death glares, but never had he broken down and cried on such a depressing scale.  His feelings had been overwhelming for her and if she hadn't trained so hard with the Asakura's all those years ago to become the Itako that she was now.  It would have been too much for her with his strong feelings.  'Could it be puberty?'  She wondered and shook her head.  'He knows better.'  Though there had been a few rare moments when Yoh had approached her and tried to do things such as take her hand or put his arm around her.  She had reacted with the usual slap in the face and storm away from him with threats that if he ever tried that again that he would pay dearly, only for him to chase after her and apologize.  She hated it all the more when he would apologize and she would push him away.  

Afterwards, Yoh would treat it as if nothing had happened and they continued on with their normal lives.  Yoh had never given up hope on Anna though.  Every time she felt that she was pushing him away and that he would come to hate her.  She always sensed the determination from him.  He was trying to understand her and accept her through all the layers she had buried herself in from everyone else.  

She began to have second thoughts about allowing him to put his head on her lap from the night before.  She decided that if he tried it again.  She would break his neck.  'No, that's a bit extreme.  Breaking an arm isn't.'  She smiled inwardly as that was decided.  'But first things first.  What exactly did he mean by last night?  I need to find out why Yoh's thoughts are so different now.'  Anna glanced toward the door that leads to the room where Yoh was still suppose to be asleep in, but she could sense that he was beginning to stir.  Her eyes narrowed.  'As if he was another person.'

Hao opened his eyes to see an empty space on the futon.  'She's gone.'  He reached out and touched the spot to feel that it was cold.  She had left the room earlier in the morning after Yoh's constant talking in his sleep had woken her, but she had not bothered to wake him since he was still recovering from the wound on his forehead and was acting delirious she assumed.  He touched the delicate spot on his forehead.  "I.. what was I doing?"  He said out loud without realizing it.  Then the memories came back.  He was inside of Yoh's body and in the process of starting something left unfinished before Yoh had killed him.  'Anna.'  He could sense her thoughts nearby and in deep thought.  

"Yoh-dono!!!"  Amidamaru appeared right in front of Yoh's face.  

"Ah!!!!!"  Hao screamed as the spirit materialized in front of him.  His thoughts had been centered on Anna until the spirit had disturbed him.  "A-Amidamaru."  He said as his forehead began to throb.  'Useless human spirit..'  Hao felt that one of the bad points of being in Yoh's body was experiencing various forms of pain that Yoh's body wasn't use to.  

"Gomen, Yoh-dono.  I was just so happy to see you awake."  The samurai grinned and laughed lightly at his master as he wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye.  "I had been so worried that you wouldn't wake up.  How are you feeling?"  Amidamaru would have felt the forehead of his master if he had been able to, but since he didn't own a body or couldn't feel much of anything anymore.  He decided to just talk to his friend.  

"A little better though my forehead is starting to bother me so can you keep it down."  Amidamaru nodded briskly and hovered down beside his master.  

"Yoh-dono, can I ask you something?"  Hao felt his senses become sharp, as he wasn't able to read through the spirit's thoughts.  

"What is it?"  Hao felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he waited for the human spirit to speak.  

"I'm worried about Anna-dono.  She's been pacing in the living room all morning and I've been getting these odd vibes lately."  

"Odd vibes?"  Hao tried to read through the thoughts of the Itako that paced in the other room, but couldn't make much of her thoughts as a light throbbing pain began to form in his head.  

"As if something is going to happen."  The samurai's expression softened.  "I feel as if something bad is going to happen soon."  

Anna walked over to the table and sat down.  'It won't be much longer before the Shaman Fights begins again.'  She began to shuffle through the various post cards that she had written out.  'I don't think I can do this on my own.'  She flipped over each post card and began to put stamps on them.  The post cards were addressed to various people such as Ren, Horo-horo, Ryu, Manta, and Lyserg.  She planned to mail them out later when she had the opportunity to pass by a mailbox.  'Something isn't right with Yoh and somehow it's affecting me.'  Anna paused as her hand came down to place the stamp on the post card addressed to Ren.  "I don't know if it's safe to be around him."  

"Around who?"  Anna's eyes narrowed at the voice and she peered over to the open doorway to see Yoh standing there.  Hao looked over at her and knew already that she was talking about him.  Anna shrugged and closed her eyes.  She hadn't realized she had said that out loud as she began to stack up the post cards and put them into a large envelope.  Earlier she had wanted to speak with Amidamaru about it, but the spirit had been so intent in staying with his master.  She had been left them  alone to think about how she should deal with what had happened last night.  

"It doesn't matter."  She said as she began to stand with the envelope in her hand.  She opened her eyes and began to walk toward the door leading into the hallway.  Hao stuck out his right hand and blocked her from leaving.  She continued to look straight ahead of her out into the hallway.  He was having trouble reading her thoughts as his head continued to throb, but he couldn't completely remember what had happened the night before and wanted to find out why she was acting cold toward him again to the point of not wanting to even look at him.  He could feel that feeling strongly in her.  

"What happened?"  

"What?"  She finally turned to look at him with an icy stare.  

"Last night."  Hao tried to smile, but felt strained as she looked at him.  He couldn't understand what was wrong with her and the pain in his head was getting worse.  "I want to know what happened last night."  She turned her head to stare straight ahead of her again.  

"Remove your hand from in front of me, Yoh."  It was a forceful command, but it was Hao that she was talking to.  Not Yoh and Hao refused to give into her demands anymore.  He wanted to know what had happened.  

"Tell me."  Hao took a step toward her and stood in front of her.  "What happened last night?"  Again the throbbing pain pounded in his head, but he refused to drop his calm expression to fight off the pain in his head.  His eyes stayed on her.  A serious expression, an expression that Anna had never seen on Yoh before.  

'Who are you?'  She silently asked as the other occurrence of last night played through her mind.  Hao could barely make anything out of it.  Something had happened the night before and it wasn't when he had put his head on her lap.  He knew that much, but couldn't read anything else form her.  The pain in his head was beginning to increase as each moment passed.  "Let me go, Yoh."  

"No!"  That was the last straw.  He couldn't take it anymore.  His head felt like it was going to explode and she was calling him Yoh again.  He just couldn't take it anymore, the pain was too much for him.  Hao reached his out stretched hand around her and grabbed her left arm.  Her right hand came through the air, but Hao knew that it would be coming.  He had been hit by it once before and he was ready for it now.  He raised his left hand to grab and catch her hand before it would be able to connect with his face.  Instead his vision blurred and he missed grabbing a hold of her hand as it flew past his own hand as he tried to reach for it.  The sound echoed throughout the hallway, the sound of her hand flying through the air and it connecting to his cheek.  What she hadn't done last night.  She was doing now.  Hao stumbled back, but didn't release his grip on her as his back hit up against the frame of the doorway.  He couldn't see anything in front of him as his vision continued to blur and his head continued to throb, but he felt the burning sting on his cheek.  

"I said.."  Her voice was more serious now.  "To let my arm go."  His grip tightened around her arm.  

"Yoh!"  She screamed out as his grip tightened around her arm.  He was hurting her.  'Who the hell are you?!'  Her heart screamed out and she shoved against him.  Hao fell to the side into the hallway and his grip loosens on her arm.  She took the opportunity to pull free and out of his reach.  "I'm leaving."  She stated flatly and started walking toward the front door.  

"Wait!"  Hao cried as he began to stand up, but all he could hear was the sound of her sandals as it echoed with each step until she disappeared out of the house.  "Anna!"  Hao cried after her, but she was long gone.  His vision continued to blur and then slowly cleared.  'Why.. why did she leave me?'  He couldn't almost believe it.  She had walked out on him.  'Why did she leave you, Yoh?'  She had walked out on Yoh.  Hao had never thought it possible.  Not the Anna that he had come to know, the one that stood beside Yoh through thick and thin.  He had hoped that she would care for him in the way same way and it had seemed for a fraction of a moment she had.  He wondered if he had dreamed it all up.  For a moment, he had let his guard down again and had truly allowed himself to rest only for something to happen.  Something had happened to break down everything that he had built with her and now she had left him.  "She's like everyone else."  Hao said out loud to no one in particular as the old familiar feeling of betrayal ran through his heart.  

'No.'  It was a voice that Hao was all too familiar with.  He turned to look to the side with unsteady eyes to where a mirror hung in the hallway.  Yoh stared back at him with a red palm print across his cheek.  'She's not like everyone else'.  

"Yoh.."  

'You haven't realized it yet, Hao?  You've already spent a lot of time with her since I've been gone and still you haven't realize it.'

"What?"  Hao glared at his reflection.   

'Anna has never been like anyone else.'  The image in the mirror seemed to take a life of its own and began to smile back at him.  'So don't treat her like anyone else.'  Yoh grinning knowingly back at his older brother.  Hao gritted his teeth together.  Yoh knew Anna better than anyone else and Hao hated it that his brother was right.  This caused Hao to calm down and relax his jaw as he realized it.  It was his fault that Anna had left just now.  It gave him cause to wonder if perhaps that history was repeating itself.  Matamune had left in the same manner the first and only time that they had ever quarreled.  It has caused him the first person that he had ever truly come to care for and now it was happening all over again.  

"What have I done?"  Hao said out loud as he lost sight of everything around him as his vision began to blur again.  

'Its what you didn't do Hao that has caused this all.'  Then the world went black on Hao and he couldn't see the reflection of his little brother anymore.  

'Yoh.'

A/N:  *ahem *  I had thought that the scars that Yoh had on his body would have been bad, but I finally found an image that shows the scars on Yoh's chest/stomach area and it kinda reminds me of Kenshin's.. ^^;  Sorry about the chapter before being a bit confusing.  Probably cause of the references I made to the drama cds that cover Matamune's story that ties into the three of them (Yoh, Anna and Hao) in one way or another.  Drama cds are cds that contain short stories to an anime series or sometimes they even follow along the manga's story to cover a certain part of the manga that wasn't in the anime.  The cd is usually made up of a couple of songs, sometimes being the opening and ending songs to the anime series or even including vocal songs that are sung by some of the seiyuu/voice actors.  There are two drama cds for Shaman King called Shaman King Osorezan Revoir ~Prologue to Shaman~ and Shaman King Osorezan Revoir ~Au Revoir~.  They both cover the events of Yoh and Anna's first meeting along with her Oni incident.  It also covers Yoh's meeting of Matamune, his first Hyoii Gattai and goodbye to Matamune.  Very sad.  ;;  It took me awhile to write this since I've dedicated more of my time into making SK cosplay outfits for some upcoming cons and also working on my own SK website so if my chapters come out slowly.  That's way.  If you're interested in checking out my SK site, here ya go.  //e is called Hoshi Gumi.  Enjoy.  XD


	8. Appearances

Disclaimers:  I don't own Shaman King so don't sue me.  Just trying to write a fanfiction here so I'm borrowing the storyline of the series for a moment to alter it to my way of thinking, kinda a what if this could happen thing.  May contain spoilers to those that haven't seen all of the anime series, read the manga or heard the drama cds.  I've only begun to read the manga at the time that I wrote this so bare with me.      

© June 2003

 Chapter 8 – Appearances

Manta continued to stare at the card in his hand.  He knew Yoh's handwriting, but this wasn't his handwriting.  He had seen this handwriting a few times before, enough to be familiar with it.  It was Anna's.  He could hardly believe that Anna would send him an invitation to come back to Tokyo and had briefly mentioned that something was wrong with Yoh.  Something was wrong with his best friend.  He knew no other option than to return home to check on his friend.  

A few issues remained that Manta needed to take care of, but he figured he could handle it and still be able to return to Tokyo.  Yoh was more important to him as a friend than being able to perform his duties for his family.  He had done what his family wanted him to do by going to Europe to handle a scandal matter that had come up.  It was his family's entire fault for letting the company get out of hand and left it to their son to take care of.  It was such a pain for him sometimes being a member of his family.  That's why he enjoyed it so much when he was able to spend time with Yoh and his other friends.  It was the place that he wanted to be at and he wondered if things would have been different if he had just stayed.  If he hadn't come to Europe, his friend would be all right though he had no idea what was really going on.  

Ren crushed the post card in his hand and tossed it to the side.  "Bason!"  The spirit appeared next to his young master.  

"Yes bocchama?"  

"Get my horse ready.  I'm going to Tokyo."  The spirit nodded and disappeared.  Something was wrong with Yoh.  He could hardly believe it and the fact that Anna had sent word meant that it was indeed serious.  It was her way of asking for help though she hadn't quite worded it as such.  It was all the explanation that he needed since it time for him to visit the hot springs.  

Lyserg glanced past Morphine as she sat atop of his shoulder and looked out of the window of the airplane at the view of Tokyo, as it grew nearer.  It has been awhile since he had last visited everyone.  He spared a glance at the post card in his hand before looking back out the window.  The card was an invitation to come to the hot springs.  He had already planned to visit Jeanne at her church that was located in Tokyo and also to stop in to see the Lilly Five at their flower shop that just happened to be down the street from Jeanne's church.  The invitation only gave him more reason to come sooner and he would be able to see everyone again.  

He wondered about the invitation though no word had been given to him on what was really going on.  He knew that if he went to Yoh's house.  He would be sure to find everyone else there hanging out like usual.  It would be good to see everyone again.  He wanted to hear all about everyone's adventures since they had last all parted.  He had a few tales to share and some things that he wanted to discuss with everyone.  He was so lost in thought as to what to talk with everyone about that he didn't notice that the plane had landed.  He finally stood up and was still lost in his own thoughts as the airplane began to unload its passengers into the Narita airport.  

Horo-horo stood on the side of the road with his thumb sticking out.  Another car sped toward him from down the street, but the driver didn't spare him a second glance as it passed him by.  He half growled and half sighed as he slumped to the ground.  He wished that Ryu could have been with him since he was better at this hitchhiking thing.  No one seemed to want to stop for him and he was becoming frustrated.  The only answer to that was to fill his belly with something to eat though he tried not to waste too much time.  Yoh needed him.  

He began to rummage around in his backpack for something to eat.  He had pretty much eaten everything already, but that hadn't stopped him since he paused every couple of hundred yards to replenish his strength by eating everything he had.  A couple of people had given him a ride.  He had forgotten just how far Tokyo could be and suddenly wished that Ren were there to give him a ride on one of those airplanes that he owned.  He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the sound of horseshoes hitting the paved road or the golden eyes that peered from the horses back as it drew nearer.  

Ryu zoomed down the road on his motorcycle.  As he pulled closer to the hot springs, he could make out the figure of a certain unruly blonde hair girl standing by the front gate with her arms crossed over her chest.  She could see out of the corner of her eye as he pulled to a stop a few feet away from her.  He took off his shades and smiled.  

"Yo."  She stated coolly, but he knew better.  

"Yo Anna-okami."  He kicked the stand down on the bike and took off his helmet.  He stood up and combed out his hair.  After he finished readjusting himself, he glanced around.  "Where's  donna?"  

"Give them a minute."

"Them?"  She pointed down the street in the opposite direction that Ryu had driven in from.  In the distance was a silhouette of a group of people that were heading their way.  Before too long the group was drawing close to the front gates.  Ren was half carrying, half dragging what appeared to be a body as he led his horse behind him.  No doubt it was none other than Horohoro.  No one commented on the hoof prints that appeared to be imprinted on the back of the Ainu's jacket or the reason why he was presently unconscious or why Ren and not the horse were carrying him.  Lyserg and Manta were deep in discussion on how the weather was in Europe this time of year.  

"Where's Yoh?"  Ren asked once they were in hearing distance.  

"We'll talk about this once we meet up with everyone.  Follow me."  She began to walk and everyone followed, but before they could get too far.  

"Hey!!"  Everyone stopped and turned to see Chocolove running down the lane.  It was coming in the same direction that Ryu had come in and he was waving his hand.  

"You're late."  Anna stared at him coolly.  

"Fish bait!" He appeared in a worm outfit and fish were jumping in the background as waves splashed.  Ren threw the unconscious Horohoro at the New Yorker and knocked him out with one hit of Horohoro.  

"Baka."  Mumbled the Chinese golden-eyed boy as he grabbed the still unconscious Ainu and dragged him along.  Ryu picked up Chocolove and carried him as Anna led the way.  

Hao blinked and he knew where he was.  He was inside of Yoh's mind again.  How he got there, he didn't know.  He assumed instantly that it was Yoh's doing.  He barely paid attention to what his little brother was doing since he was in control of his twin's body.  He believed that he had complete control of the body, but as he stood there.  He realized how wrong he was.  Yoh was up to no good, how he had been able to get Hao back into his mind, it left him baffled.  He hadn't given his little brother much credit, but he was realizing Yoh was continuing to be a pain in his ass, a pain that he planned to rub and snub out once and for all.  He grinned and shook his head.  

"Damnit, you're always being such a pain in my ass Yoh."  A soft chuckle filled the air and Yoh appeared a few feet away, grinning in return.  

"It's more fun that way."  Hao closed his eyes and sighed.  He resisted the urge to bury his fist into Yoh's face for being smart with him.  He wasn't allowed to be smart toward his older brother.  It was the big brother's job to be a smart-ass and tease the younger brother he silently told himself.  He opened his eyes and gazed mischievously at his twin.  

Yoh reminded him of himself 1000 years ago.  Even with all the comments that Yoh retorted with, he still continued to have an innocence that amused and irked Hao.    It was a side of himself that he had once considered to be weak.  It was a miracle unto itself that he was able to get rid of that weak side of himself and Yoh ended up having that part of him, a part that he just wanted to forget, but his little brother continued to interfere and remind him yet again.  That no matter how much he tries, he can't have whatever he wants.  He planned to prove him wrong and had almost succeeded in what he had set out to do.  Anna had almost been his.  He wondered how his little brother would take the news.  Especially the news of what had happened that night, but he wasn't about to enlighten him any.  

 "You've been up to something."  He looked around as if he would be able to find it just by looking.  Yoh shrugged as if he hadn't been up to anything lately and hadn't been so emerged in his mental training.  "It isn't nice of you to go and do that behind my back little brother."  The humor in Yoh's eyes faded and lost all mirth in his expression.  .  

"Nice?  It isn't nice of you to come and take over my body and then try to steal my fiancée."  

"Tsk, tsk."  Hao shook his head at his twin.  "Such a tiny thing you speak of."  His gaze came to settle on the younger one and pierced into his soul.  "When your body has been mine to begin with."  

"Hao!"  Yoh materialized a katana out of nowhere that resembled Harusame.    
"And even now you want to fight.  Such a weak fool as always Yoh, but she will be mine."  He grinned evilly, baring rows of white teeth.  

"Hao!"  Yoh gripped the sword tightly in his hands and aimed to bury the blade into the spirit of his older brother.  It was known that if you kill the spirit mentally they would die.  It seemed to be his only option left if he wanted to gain his body back.  He had already destroyed Hao's body and was now left with no other choice than to destroy his mind as well.  

"Yoh-kun!"  A familiar voice filled the air and Yoh paused in the middle of his attack.  Hao's grin broadened as he realized this was his opportunity and there was nothing that his twin could do about it

Everyone began to talk at once.  Anna had explained that something was up with Yoh and shared with them on how he was acting though she didn't mention what had happened that night.  Everyone had his or her own suspicious as to what was wrong with Yoh.  She looked out the window and watched as the cars passed by.  Everything that they mentioned she had already thought about and knew that it wasn't that.  It was something else.  Horohoro was now conscious enough to argue with Ren for trampling him earlier and that fact they needed to help their friend.  Ryu was busily sending heart shaped bubbles toward Lyserg.  Lyserg sweat dropped as he attempted to fend off the heart bubbles from getting him.  Chocolove was attempting to tell jokes, but everyone was ignoring him.  Faust was busy talking with his wife about if she had noticed a change in their little dark haired friend.  The only other person that remained silent was Manta.  He was watching her.  She had enough of everyone's bickering.  She wondered again if she had done the right thing to ask everyone for help because it was proving pointless.  She suddenly stood up and slammed her hand on the table.  Everyone stopped talking to look at her.  

"I'm leaving.  This isn't working."  Horohoro tried to call her back as she walked out, but Ren pushed him for being such a heartless idiot and commented that is why he doesn't have a girlfriend causing the Ainu to break out into tears.  Manta hopped down and went outside.  

"Wait!"  He ran after her, but she didn't stop though she did slow down so that he could catch up.  "Let me go visit Yoh-kun."  This stopped her and she turned to stare at him with half closed lids.  

"Haven't you been listening?"  She had mentioned earlier that it wasn't safe to be around Yoh and that he was stronger now then he ever was before.  They needed to be careful and tread lightly with things regarding Yoh.  

"But its Yoh-kun we're talking about.  I don't believe that Yoh-kun would ever hurt me.  I've already been hurt by him before so I don't think he could do anything to chase me away this time."  She stared at him for a good two minutes causing a sweatdrop to appear on his forehead.  He laughed nervously and smiled.  "Its Yoh-kun after all.  Everything will be okay."  She turned back to look down the road.  

"Do whatever you want."  She began to walk, but he needed to go into the opposite direction.  

"I'll come report back to you what I find!"  He called after her and took off running into the opposite direction toward Yoh's house.  

"Yoh-kun!"  It was a familiar and friendly voice that Yoh knew all too well.  It caused him to lose his concentration as he looked around franticly for his friend.  Hao noticed the change in his behavior and used it to his advantage.  "Yoh-kun!"  He recognized the voice also.  It belonged to Yoh's little friend, the human.  He grinned as he ran his fingers through his hair, flicking some of his bangs off to the side with his fingers.  He wasn't about to lose to his twin no matter what.  It was his life to begin with and the fact that Yoh had interfered was problematic enough.  While Yoh was distracted by the voice, he gained back control and his image began to fade.  

"Don't worry Yoh.  I'll take good care of him."  Yoh advanced with his attack, jumping through the air and toward the image of his twin.  He brought the sword down, but the blade swung through the air as Hao's image disappeared.  

"Hao!"  The sword disappeared and Yoh closed his eyes, quickly seating himself on the ground as he entered his meditation stance.  

Manta continued to knock on the door, but no one was answering.  He wasn't sure if Yoh was still there, but he opened the door anyways.  Just inside he saw an unconscious figure lying on the ground.  "Yoh-kun!"  He ran over to his friend and tried his best to prop him against the wall.  Yoh's eyes blinked and he looked at Manta.  The short boy felt relieved as he watched his friend come to.  "What happened Yoh-kun?  Are you alright?"  Yoh's gaze fell onto the boy and his pupils lost all color.  He grabbed Manta around the collar of his shirt and picked him up off the ground.  

"Where is she?!"  Manta could clearly see that the cold eyes that stared into his own were not the eyes of his  best friend.  "Where is Anna!?!"  He cried again, slamming Manta against the wall, choking the younger boy even more.  

"S-she's not here.. she's scared Yoh."  Manta found himself more frightened than he ever has been in his whole life.  Even when Yoh had tried to end their friendship to protect him, it hadn't been like this.  Yoh hadn't been so heartless or had tried to kill him, but the Yoh that was before him now, wasn't the friend that he knew.  The heartless Shaman that was choking the life out of him was not his best friend.  "She's scared of what you've become."  The colored returned into Yoh's gaze as the grip that he had on Manta loosed, dropping the boy to the ground.  

"Get out."  

"Huh?"  Manta didn't get the chance to stand or the time to recover or to ask any more questions.  

"Get out!"  He scrambled to his feet and ran out the door.  He spared a glance back to see Yoh slump to the floor, but he couldn't see the trembling that began in Yoh's body as his own tears blinded him.  Anna had been right.  Yoh was no longer himself, no longer the carefree and cheerful friend that he knew.  He needed to report to Anna what he had found out though he knew that she would know already.  His visit hadn't proved anything and he hadn't been able to find out anything that Anna didn't know.  It had only confirmed that Anna was right about this new Yoh.  

Hao kneeled on the floor and looked down at his trembling hands.  He couldn't control them as they continued to shake.  He couldn't believe what he had done.  No, not that fact that he had almost killed Manta, a human friend of Yoh's, but the fact that he had driven her away.  Anna had left him.  

'I told you so.'

"Shut up."  

'You can't run from the truth.'  Hao clenched his fists to stop the trembling and glared over to the mirror that held his twin's reflection.  Yoh was smiling at him.  'Your life expired a long time ago.  You don't have the right to continue on living because you don't know how.  I'm going to take my life back Hao.'  Hao punched the mirror, shattering it until a million pieces, as the glass scattered across the floor, but he didn't remove his fist from the mirror or the wall that he had punched his fist through.  

"I was so alone.. always alone.  No matter how many people were around me.  I was still alone.  And when they looked at me.  There was fear in their eyes.  Why couldn't they just look at me.. the way she did that night?"  Blood began to drip from his fingers and knuckles.  He could faintly feel the pain of what it was like to bleed like that, but it didn't even begin to hurt as much as he was hurting inside.  "They all betrayed me.."  He glared into the shattered remains of the mirror and still could see Yoh there.  "They betrayed me Yoh!"  

'Stop acting so strong all the time and show them that you are just like everyone else.  Stop with these appearances of yours.'

"I'm not like everyone else.  I'm strong and I'll create the Shaman Kingdom.."

'And what about Anna?  Didn't you put the Shaman Kingdom on hold for her?'  Hao grew silent.  He had indeed put his dream on hold for a moment to spend some time with the Itako, but it had only been a moment in his lifetime that he had been able to show what he was truly feeling inside.  He wanted the world to return to what it had once been, the mother nature that he remembered, where the rivers were clear enough to see the fish swim around in it, the animals ran freely and safe from human hands.  The valleys were never ending with its grassy green fields and the mountains rose above all majestically unhampered by chemicals created by man.  'It was a long time ago.'

"What about you?  She left you too."  Hao withdrew his fist from the wall and watched as the rest of the mirror fell to the floor and shattered.  "You are such a fool Yoh."  He turned and started to walk out the door.  

'Your wrong, you are because you don't know her.  She's never left me.  Start living your own life Hao.'

A/N:  Sorry it took me so long to post and update with this chapter, but its cause I had finished writing the chapter.  Then ff.net was acting up and I wasn't able to upload it.  Then my cable modem messed up on me and I ended up losing a lot of stuff on my computer since I reloaded it in hopes that my computer was the problem and not the modem, but more importantly.  I lost most of the fics that I had written.  ;;  Over 3000 words for this chapter had been written and now its gone.  So I had to go back and rewrite this chapter.  Sorry it took so long, but I wasn't sure if I covered everything correctly as I had originally intended.  Ah well, please enjoy.  Other chapters will come along slowly since I lost all that I had written and they were such passionate chapters…  ;;  I doubt I can write them again.  I was kinda surprised to come back from a con and find out that a Japanese SK cosplayer had linked her site to mine!  XD  So yeah.. I'm excited about that, hehe.  I've also begun work on a new section for my site, which will be a keeper's list.  I also got a hold of several more doujinshis that I've been scanning.  


	9. For a moment

Disclaimer:  I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me.  I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.  I've based this off the anime series with tiny hints of the manga and drama cds.  I've only just begun to get into the manga series so excuse me for starting off a bit late.  

© July 2003

Chapter 9 – For a moment

Yoh couldn't believe it, but Hao was walking out on him and not listening to a word he was saying.  He didn't know why his brother couldn't see what this all was doing to everyone.  Not just to his twin and himself, but to Anna and the others.  

"Don't turn your back on me.  All that I ask is that you just listen to me for one moment."  Hao continued to walk out the door, leaving the house that belonged to his other half.  "Someone will end up getting hurt!  Hao!!!"  He didn't need to turn back to look to see his brother's reflection anymore because no matter where he went.  His annoying little twin would be there to contradict him.  He forced Yoh's spirit to bury itself once again deep inside of his own body, casting his little brother into complete darkness again.  

Yoh couldn't hold up against the powerful spiritual blow that was sent his way.  He tried to fight it, but found himself standing in the dark again.  "Why can't you see that you'll just end up hurting yourself more?"  Yoh sighed, but his words were lost to ears of his twin.  Hao could no longer hear what he had to say and refused to listen.  He was in complete control again.  

"Don't tell me what to do or you'll get burned."  A few feet away from Hao appeared a younger form of Spirit of Fire.  "It was hard enough to bring you back in your present form, but you will not be needed here comrade.  Return and wait for me to come again.  The Shaman Kingdom will come one day and not even he will be able to stop it then."  The young genie nodded to its master and disappeared in a swirl of flames.  "I have work to do."  He prepared for the guests that he knew would be coming soon.  

Manta searched all over for Anna, but he couldn't find her anywhere.  He returned to the café that everyone had gathered in earlier that day.  Everyone was still there as they continued to be knee deep within their debates over Yoh, but Anna was nowhere in sight.  

"Has Anna-san come back?"  Ryu released his hold on Lyserg finally allowing the younger Shaman to breath and scoot far away from him.  

"Anna-okami hasn't come back.  I thought she left with you?"

"Ah, no.  I went to go see Yoh-kun."  Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him.  Horohoro set his arm heavily onto the table and looked at the boy that was much smaller than him.  

"But I thought that she said it wasn't safe to go there alone."  

"I thought I could talk to Yoh-kun and reason with him, but.."  He left the sentenced unfinished as all eyes continued to stay on him.  Ren noticed a slight tear on Manta's shirt.  It hadn't been there earlier when they had all met together.  He knew that something must have happened.  

"What happened?"  His golden eyes pierced into Manta causing the boy to laugh nervously as he covered up the tear in an attempt to hide it.  He knew that Ren must have seen it and knew that things were far worse than they had first believed it to be.  Anna couldn't even begin to tell them how much trouble Yoh was causing with his wild temper now.  Ren quickly stood, grabbing his sword and glared at each one of them in turn.  

"I'm going to go see Yoh for myself."  He quickly left the café and everyone scrambled after him before anyone could even reply to the Chinese boy's words.  As they arrived at the front yard of Yoh's house, a lone figure stood in the front yard.  It was Yoh.  

Hao looked up from his meditation before their forms came into view.  He could feel the Shamans' presence before they had even reached the house.  He stood up; dusting himself off as he held Harusame in his hand, ready to welcome the guests that were coming.  He took out the mortuary tablet that he wore hidden within the inside of his shirt and Yoh's most trusted samurai spirit appeared.  He planned to use his twin's spirit against his friends.  

"Its been a long time since I last did this, but… Amidamaru!  Spirit ball mode!"  Amidamaru formed into his spirit ball form and appeared in his hand.  He had his own powers that he could have easily used against the other Shamans, but he wanted to use his brother's powers against his friends.  He wanted to make Yoh sorry that he had ever been born.  "Hyoui gattai!"  He brought the spirit into his chest and they fused.  

"Y-yoh-donna?"  Hao grabbed Harusame and drew the katana by its hilt.  A spiritual blade formed of the sword.  

"Did you think that Yoh alone could do this with Harusame?"  He chuckled as he showed off the spiritual blade that he had called forth and raised it to point at them.  "Come and get it if you dare."  Everyone stood in shock at the Shaman that was threatening them.  It really wasn't Yoh that stood there before them and yet they didn't know who it was.  

"T-this isn't Yoh-dono!"  Amidamaru's spirit rose from him and the spiritual blade disappeared.  "It is Asakura Hao!"  Hao laughed.  

"So you've finally figured it out."  He sheathed Harusame and cast the katana off to the side, the sword being useless to him.  "Its about time that you've found out fools.  I've always known that the human spirit was useless and yet again you prove me right Amidamaru."  He smiled at the spirit.  Amidamaru gritted his teeth together as he held his tongue for not realizing sooner what had happened to his master.  "You are a pathetic samurai, unworthy to serve his master.  It's no surprise why you were killed.  You are human after all."  If Amidamaru were still alive, he would have buried his fist into Hao's face for that remark.  

"Get out of my way."  He walked toward the group gathered, but everyone stepped out of the way to make room for him to pass.  No one tried to stop him as he left the yard though their eyes stayed on him during the whole time.  Without Yoh, they knew that they were helpless against someone as powerful as Hao and if they tried to fight him.  There was no telling what would happen to Yoh and if they would ever find out the truth about what had happened to him.  Their only option that remained was to let him go.  

Anna leaned her back up against the large tree trunk, as the soft, muffled footsteps grew closer.  Ordinary people wouldn't have heard that someone was coming, but she knew instantly the moment when this person had begun to come see her.  It was the person that she knew better than anyone else; it was Asakura Yoh, but even now.  He wasn't the same person that she has known for the past several years that they had grown up together.  She knew that it had to be someone else in Yoh's body and she was having her suspicions.  

As she sat meditating later after talking to everyone, she had finally come to her own conclusion.  There just couldn't have been any other answer to this riddle that remained unsolved.  She was an Itako, not only a powerful one, but also a damned smart one.  Intelligent than all the others as Itako Kino had often told her.  She knew that she had the capability to figure it out if she just meditated on it for a while using one of her other abilities that she had learned to use to her advantage.  Calling everyone else had merely been a distraction to keep Yoh away from her long enough so that she could do what she needed to do.  Figure out who it was that had possessed him.  She had made a few phone calls and gotten the help of a few smart females.  She had been wrong to ask the guys for help on such a delicate matter.  

"Anna."  She didn't need to look over to see who it was.  She knew who it was, but the sound of his voice wasn't his.  It was Yoh's.  She reminded herself to not be tricked anymore by his tears and kindness.  He had wronged them both by doing this.  He had taken Yoh's life already once and she hated him for it, but he had gone too far by taking over Yoh's body.  She wasn't going to forgive him.  

Hao walked up to her still form and stared at her.  She was leaning up against a tree and staring down at the ground.  She didn't seem to acknowledge that he had come and he noticed there was a different air around her.  As if she had learned something that she hadn't known before.  He wasn't sure if she had finally found out his secret or if she still believed he was Yoh.  Questions began to plague him, as he wanted to ask her if she hated him now.    

"Anna?"  She looked up from the ground with dull, cold eyes finally and gazed over at him.  

"What?"  Hao swallowed, the emptiness in her eyes troubling him.  

"Are you mad at me?"   One of her brows raised and than she began to laugh.  Her chuckle was bitter and sent a chill down his spine.  This wasn't the Anna that he had come to know, the Anna that held him as he cried.  'What have I done?'  He silently asked himself as he stood there witnessing Anna distancing herself from him.  Her laugher halted so unexpectedly that he was taken by surprise as she pushed away from the tree and began to walk toward him.  He took a step back as she drew closer.  He didn't want to hurt her and yet she appeared as if she wanted to fight.  'Women…'  The thought was more than enough to inconvenience him in many ways.  He was a master of the five elements, the most powerful Shaman in the world.  Nature was at his beck and call.  Many women he had easily conquered and yet she continued to resist him.  He wanted her more.  Not just her body, but he wanted to make her understand him, to make her become his bride.  

She didn't have to read his mind to notice what he was thinking about because he wasn't making an attempt to hide it and she planned to use it to her advantage.  She stepped in front of him and stared into his eyes dark as if searching for something.  He could see the emotions swirling in the depths of her eyes and suddenly felt the need to hold her, to comfort her, but he held himself in place.  

"Your really a handful."  The words sounded foreign to her ears.  Though it had been said from Yoh's lips, she knew that he would never be able to say something like that to her.  The eyes that were currently on her were not the caring eyes of Yoh, but the saddened eyes of a lonely man that once existed a long time ago.  His eyes lowered to her lips and she noticed instantly.  For the life of her she knew that she didn't have any real sex appeal, but to get Yoh back.  She was willing to do it.  

Her tongue flicked out, lightly running across her bottom lip and then disappear back into her mouth.  It was more than enough to make him forget that the two of them had been arguing.  He suddenly lost his place and fell deeper into the moment.  He longer could tell who he was or who she was, but his feelings pressed him on.  He wanted to kiss her and he felt like laughing out loud at the idea, but refrained from doing so.  He didn't want the moment to end between them.  He began to lean forward as if propelled by an unknown force, the need to be closer to her driving him on.  

"Anna."  There was a certain huskiness to his voice that she couldn't recognize.  Yoh had never said her name like that before and she felt surprised.  Their thoughts were a blur to one another so there was no use in them trying to read the other's mind as each of them seemed to be lost in their own world, hers intent on getting Yoh back, his intent on winning her over.  As his face drew closer to hers, his eyes began to drift closed as her eyes never left his.  The surprise didn't last long as she realized what was about to happen.  The sound of the impact echoed throughout the open area.  No one was in hearing distance and though no one could hear him or her.  Someone might have heard that.  

"Don't get fresh with me."  There was iciness not only in her gaze now, but also in the tone of her voice.  She had distanced herself yet again.  His face stung as the red imprint of her hand began to form on his cheek.  She had done it again, slapped him with her renowned slap, marking him with her brand of dominance.  He smiled as the feeling settled in.  It was a reminder to him that he was the stronger one yet she had the will to stand up against him.  Something that many Shamans or humans had been unable to do and knew that they would die if they dared to approach him in such a way.  She showed o fear toward him and saw him on equal terms as anyone else.  To her, he was a man like any other though he was a powerful Shaman.  

Part of him was angry with her for continuing to push him away.  Yet he urged himself on.  He looked over into her eyes again only to see that icy stare once again.  He wanted to break the wall that existed between the two of them.  He was going to make her his bride, the bride of Asakura, the bride of the Shaman King.  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her toward him, planting his own lips over hers.  

Anna didn't notice what was happening as he pulled her toward him.  Her hand slipped down to the purse that she had slung over her shoulder and rested at her hip.  She pulled out the paper talisman between two fingers ready, as she was pulled closer to him.  

The spell had been well prepared after calling her teacher up and consulting with her over what had been going on.  Itako Kino told her that she should use a spell to expel the spirit that resided in Yoh and to do so.  She would need a powerful spell.  She reverted to using Chou Senji Ryakketsu to find a spell that was suitable, but she wasn't too familiar with such spells so she called Jun up to ask more questions.  Much research was needed to prepare the spell correctly, but in the end it was nothing that the powerful Itako couldn't overcome.  The only demise of the spell was if the original spirit that owned the body didn't have a strong will to continue living.  He wouldn't be able to claim his body back and his soul too would be lost never to gain control of his body again.  

He dared to kiss her and that was reason enough.  She hadn't meant to give him the opportunity to kiss her, but it couldn't be helped.  She brought the paper talisman down onto his forehead rather forcefully.  "Dismiss essence!"  

Hao didn't have time to react as one moment he was kissing her and next he felt himself falling through a dark hole endlessly until he hit the bottom, landing on his feet.  He didn't have to ask where he was because only a few feet away from him sat Yoh.  He was staring at him.  

Yoh couldn't believe it, his training and powers were getting better since he has been working so hard in his own mind.  He smiled and silently believed that he was becoming stronger by the minute.  He had just tried to call Hao back into his mind so that he could take back his body and though he had tried other countless times to do the technique.  It had failed, but this time it worked.  He was proud of himself.  

"Hello Hao."  It irked Hao as he ignored Yoh.  She had done it again to him, pushed him away.  He knew that this would be the last draw.  She had pushed him away and that he had lost merely because he let his own emotions get the best of him.  Such foolish human emotions at that.  He sighed and glanced over at his little brother.  His gaze rested on his younger twin as if everything were finally sinking in.  

Yoh gritted his teeth together in frustration, as Hao didn't answer him.  He had grown tired of being alone and of his brother not listening to a damned thing he would say.  There was no telling what Hao had done to Anna or even to his friends.  He just knew he had to get back to them somehow and that opportunity was now presenting itself to him.  He was going to use Hao's experience and knowledge against him.  When Yoh's soul first entered Hao's body and he experienced that close to death moment.  He had relived Hao's lives and learned everything there could possible be to gain from living for over 1000 years.  Memories that weren't his flooded his mind and his heart.  Feelings of trust and betrayal sunk its way into his being.  Almost consuming him into becoming something that he wasn't.  For he wasn't Asakura Hao and he constantly had to remind himself of that.  It somehow all felt familiar to him, as he had witnessed similar things happening to him as he grew up, raised as a Shaman.  Unable to forget what he was because others couldn't understand or refused to accept him.  He was shunned and looked down upon for carrying the name Asakura.  It was all a similar experience as it had been in Chou Senji Ryakketsu.  

"Did you know Yoh?"  Hao unsteady gaze rested on him, drawing Yoh out from his own musings, for a moment and then moved elsewhere, not centering on one thing, but slowly looking around as if lost.  Searching for something that he couldn't see, but could feel was there.  "That for a moment.. she was mine."  His eyes darkened, but a tiny gleam shone in its depths as he continued.  "For a moment I held her with these arms.. with these hands."  His gaze finally rested on his hands as he slowly closed them and opened them again, as if they would no longer heed him and had a mind of their own.  "Nothing else mattered.  I even let something that has driven me in every life, my dream of the Shaman Kingdom, be put on hold for a moment as I held her close to me."  He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.  "The pain was deep.  It was such a long time ago when that dream first formed and look where it has gotten me."  He closed his eyes as if remembering something from the past that pained him.  "Warmth..  It's something that I've known very well.  I feel it as I sit beside a fire, but this warmth.. I've never felt it before.  Even when I slept beside my wives, nothing like this existed between us though we had children, no feeling.."  He opened his eyes and stared up into the unknown, the darkness never ending.  "There was a sound, steady and strong, drawing you in and wrapping you around in its rhythm.  Making you forget that pain, that betrayal, taunting you into believing that you were weak and that it was the answer to all your prayers.  Not even.. Great Spirit could ever tell her what to do."  

If Yoh had known any better, it was as if Hao was silently crying in front of him though no tears fell.  His words were unsteady, rushed, and his voice carried a different note to it that Yoh hadn't noticed was there before.  There was no humor, the playfulness gone and no teasing words to confuse him.  The voice that he knew sounded different.  Hao was babbling as if he were an old man, reminiscing about the past.  A painful past that haunted him and a love that was not returned.  

"Who are you calling old man?"  Hao glowered at him.  He had been reading his thoughts again.  There were very few things that he could hide from his twin.  Name-calling was not one of them.  He walked over to his little brother and grabbed his chin, pulling his face close to his so that they were cheek to cheek.  He didn't drop his hand from his chin as he whispered.  "You're such a pain sometimes and yet you continue to amuse me, making life hard for me.  Always causing me trouble and that woman of yours.  Tempting me as she were some seductress."  Yoh shoved up against him and pushed him away.  

"She would never do that!"  He yelled knowing that Anna would never do something like that.  He didn't know what he was going on about.  She would never stoop to such a level and he knew that Hao knew as much, but he continued to feel the need to protect her from his words.  He didn't want anyone talking about her in such a way.  

Hao smiled evilly knowing that he had irked his brother, but he couldn't resist.  Yoh looked cute when he was angry and was so gullible when it came to the truth.  He had not been there when she had allowed him to kiss her.  

"I guess that's it then."  His evil smile faded as he seriously looked at Yoh.  

"What?"  Yoh didn't understand what he was talking about.  Hao appeared to be in some intricate state of being and was saying things that didn't make sense.  Hao sighed and shrugged slightly.  

"I've grown tired of this life so I'm giving it back to you."  He didn't tell Yoh the truth that Anna had pushed him away and it seemed as if he would never win her over.  She refused to say his name and though he continued to want to tell her the truth just so that he could get her to say his name.  She continued to push him away and had even gone as far as to use her body against him in a way that she wouldn't normally have done.  He had stolen a kiss from her and that was enough to make him happy to move onto the next world.  She was truly too much to handle so he was giving her back to Yoh.  

Yoh couldn't believe it.  What did Hao really mean by what he was saying.  "Promise me one last thing."  

"W-what's that?"

"Promise me that you'll take care of her.. of Anna."  Yoh knew that he wasn't joking.  Hao's eyes were on him as he was serious.  There was glimmer of danger in its depths that if he failed to protect her that he would come back and make him pay.  

"Hao.."  

"Ah and one last thing."  Hao smiled sweetly as his image began to fade as he let himself leave this world, ready to begin the journey of his next life.  "We did end up kissing."  He began to chuckle.  

"WHAT!?!"  Yoh's eyes widened as he jumped for Hao, ready to grab him around the throat as he disappeared and Yoh passed through nothingness.  He couldn't believe it.  Hao said that they had kissed, but he knew that it couldn't be true.  Anna would have never allowed it.  The bastard had to be lying because Anna would never kiss someone like Hao.  Would she?  Sweat beaded across his brow as he stood there realizing that he was still in his own mind.  Why wasn't he returning to his normal form?  Had Anna chosen Hao over him since she had come to know Hao now?  Was everyone on Hao's side now?  The questions continued to plague him and he felt himself becoming consumed more by his own darkness.  


	10. Lesson Learned

Disclaimer:  I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me.  I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.  I've based this off the anime series with tiny hints of the manga and drama cds.  

Chapter 10 – Lesson Learned

Anna took the washcloth off from the unconscious Yoh's forehead and dipped it into the basin sitting next to the futon.  She wrung out the cloth and refolded the cloth, setting it back onto his forehead.  Her eyes continued to stay on him, silently pleading for him to wake up soon because if he didn't awaken.  He never would.  That is what Faust had told them.  It was to be expected, the dangers of using a spell that one wasn't well associated with.  For her, it was a situation that she had been forced to use the spell or there was no telling what else Asakura Hao might have done to her besides kiss her.  She forced the memory out of her mind.  That last thing she wanted to be thinking about was him when Yoh continued to lie unconscious before her.  She prayed that he would wake up soon or she'd never forgive him for giving losing his body to Hao.  

"Asakura Yoh!"  She looked up from his unconscious form toward the window toward the shout that had come from the front yard.  She stood up and walked over to the window, glancing down at the crowd that was gathering in the front yard.  

"We've come for Asakura Yoh so bring him here!"  She glared down at the people down below.  She could sense that they were Shamans, but she couldn't understand why they wanted Yoh.  All of Yoh's friend had left even Faust wasn't around.  He had gone to get groceries for dinner tonight with the others.  Everyone had remained and shacked up at the house in hopes that Yoh would wake up any day now, but he continued to sleep.  She walked downstairs and headed to the front door, but as she reached out to open the door, ready to tell them all off for trespassing on her property, a hand wrapped around her hand, stopping her from opening the door.  No one was supposed to be there.  She slowly turned to see Yoh's smiling face.  

"Asakura Yoh!"  The shouts outside were getting louder.  Shock registered on her face as she stared at him.  It was Yoh's smile.  He was back.  

"Everything will be fine."  He had heard them from upstairs.  His battle with Hao had finally come to an end, their circle of misunderstanding had concluded.  Hao had left him to live his own life and passed onto the other world.  His battle with his own self had begun and come to an end.  He believed in Anna with all of his heart and knew that she would never do something like that to him so it was a battle that he wasn't ready to lose.  She would kill him if he lost to himself so he refused to lose.  The shouts from downstairs had drawn him out from his nap because he had been tired from constantly trying to keep up with Hao and his troublesome ways.  Yoh was hoping to sleep just a little bit longer, but when he had heard Anna leave.  He had to go stop her before she got hurt.    

"But Yoh.."  Amidamaru appeared at his side as he sensed the return of his master and friend.

"I'll handle it."  He picked up Harusame, as it lied propped up near the door, as she nodded.   He walked over to the door, but stopped to turn toward her and continued to smile.  "Be right back."  He turned toward the door again and slid it open.  Amidamaru followed him outside.

"There he is!"  Someone shouted and the crowd yelling seemed to quiet down as spirit and Shaman came outside.  He shut the door behind him giving Anna one last glance before she could no longer see him.  She could make out his profile through the door until he stepped away.  His footsteps echoing as he walked down along the stone's trail that led to those that had gathered outside.  

"We won't allow you to tarnish Hao-sama's name any longer.  Though our master was destroyed by your hand, he will come again and the Shaman Kingdom will surely come long after you have perished!"  

"Hao is no longer here.  Go home!"  One of the men ran forward and punched Yoh across the face, but before Yoh could fall back onto the ground from the force of the blow.  The Shaman grabbed him by the front of his shirt and picked him off the ground.  

"Your not Hao-sama... what have you done with him?"  Yoh stared into the eyes of one of Hao's followers as the side of his face was beginning to swell up.  

"I said that Hao isn't here anymore."  The man threw Yoh across the courtyard into the front door.  

Anna stood inside off to the side as she waited for Yoh to return.  He had just woken up from another near death experience so he wouldn't be that useful in a fight against a mob.  She couldn't hear much of what was going on outside, but she felt what was going on outside.  The horde was going to get dangerous.  They were going to get out of hand.  By Yoh telling them the truth, it would only anger them since they didn't know the truth.  Hao had voluntarily left this world for the fourth time, but how was Yoh suppose to explain that to them when even she didn't know this until she had read his thoughts.  Anna knew that she would have to do something.  If only she still had the Sen Hachi Ju beads she would have been able to fight or perhaps if she still had Hao's shikigamis.  She would have been able to put up a fight, but with her Itako powers alone.  She wasn't sure what help she could be to Yoh when he was still weak from his battle with Hao. She was sure of it that he had to fight Hao to get his body back because the older Shaman wouldn't give up the body so easily.  She was glad that she had been able to help and weaken Hao with her attack to a degree for Yoh to regain control.   

An idea struck her, but she wasn't sure if it would be a good plan or a bad one.  They had just gone through so much to get rid of him both times.  There was no way to tell how the crowd would react or if Yoh's body would be able to handle it in his weakened condition.  She wasn't even sure if Hao would be willing to go through it, knowing that she hated him and cast him into darkness.  His power was beyond even her, but she wondered if he would be strong enough to avoid a summoning from an Itako.  'I'll never forgive you.'  She silently vowed to him since she believed that this was his entire fault.  She grabbed her beads and began her chant.  

"I fondle it once, for the seed of the father.  I fondle it twice, for the seed of the mother.  I fondle it thrice for the hometown.  Mirror descend upon my body, if this voice is heard in the other world, stand up.  If the sound of these beads is heard, come out now.  Spirit of Hao."  

Yoh flew into the front door and landed near Anna's feet.  She finished her chanting and swung her beads through the air.  "Fusion of the spiritualistic medium!  Get inside!"  Anna brought down the beads onto Yoh as the essence left her beads and entered Yoh's body.  Hao slowly stood up and brushed himself off.  He looked up and out the door toward the group that had gathered there.  

"What's the meaning of this?"  He walked back out into the courtyard. He wasn't supposed to be here in Yoh's body anymore.  He had given this up to return to hell until he would be reborn again.  He looked around at the Shamans that had gathered outside.  His appearance darkened as he realized what was going on.  "What's the meaning of this?!"  He yelled through gritted teeth.  He recognized those that stood not far from him and he suddenly understood.  This is what Yoh had meant before that this all would just end up hurting everyone.  There was confusion here and anger.  It had all been brought down upon them all by his selfish actions.  'I guess this is why I don't friends and why she doesn't return my love.'  He chuckled at his own thoughts and the fact that he was called back to stand on Asakura soil again, by her of all people and into the body of her precious Yoh that she had fought so hard to get back.  

They continued to stand there staring at him.  Some recognized the technique used and that another spirit had entered Yoh's body.  They didn't know what spirit had entered his body, but they were there to fight for their master, the great Hao-sama.  They wanted to teach him a lesson for killing the one that they had put so much hope into.  They strongly believed that Hao would bring about a new world, a world of Shamans, the Shaman Kingdom. 

It only took the sudden movement of one of the Shamans for Hao to respond.   Anna stood in the doorway watching with Harusame at her feet, where Yoh dropped it earlier as it seemed to remain forgotten about as Hao advanced on the Shamans.  If anyone ever said that Asakura Hao didn't know hand-to-hand combat.  They are mistaken for he attacked the group of Shamans with his bare hands and easily defeated them in one fell sweep of an attack, his movements belonging to that of a warrior from long ago.  He could have killed them so easily, but choose not.  They were unconscious and no longer pestering anyone.  For a moment he felt lost and in his own world, he didn't know where he was and only saw the bodies that lined the ground.  There was no blood so he knew that he hadn't killed them though the images in his mind were filled with bodies that lined the ground, covered in blood.  

He raised an opened hand and placed it onto his cheek, able to see out through his fingers as he forced the images from his mind.  He was in the present he reminded himself, dead yet again.  He slowly seemed to realize where his place was as he turned and saw her.  His hand dropped from his face as his eyes began to tremble as his gaze centered on her.  Anna was standing in the doorway still, watching him as she clutched her beads in her hands.  It was her.  She had called him.  He closed his eyes and smiled trying to hide his feeling.  

"Don't call me anymore."  A tear slipped from the corner of his closed eyes and trailed down his cheek.  Hao's spirit left Yoh's body and drifted off with the breeze, running free once again and returning to the place that was his sanctuary from the people that continued to live their own lives.  


	11. Thank you

Disclaimer:  I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me.  I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.  I've based this off the anime series with tiny hints of the manga and drama cds.  I've only just begun to get into the manga series so excuse me for starting off a bit late.  

Chapter 11 – Thank you

"Anna?"  

"What Yoh?"  

"Do you remember that night?"  Anna knew instantly what Yoh was referring to, but she hid the blush that threatened to come out at the reminder of that incident.  

"What night?"  Instead she played dumb.  

"You know, that night you were with Hao."  

"What about it Yoh?"  Yoh scratched his nose and built up his courage.  

"What exactly happened that night?"  

"Nothing.  Nothing happened that night."  

"But I thought.."  Yoh was trying to recall what had happened that night, but he couldn't clearly remember it since Hao had been in his body.  He wasn't sure what Hao had done to Anna, but he could faintly recall that Hao had slept beside Anna that night.  Though Yoh didn't find anything wrong with that since he had also done the same thing the night before he had left Tokyo to go to America for the second round of the Shaman Fights.  Yoh had been glad for her comfort because it had given him the courage that he had needed to say goodbye for now to everyone that had to remain in Tokyo.  

"Nothing happened Yoh."  Yoh stared at her and slowly nodded accepting her answer.  She stood and walked out.  Yoh watched her go and wondered what was on her mind.  Though she said nothing had happened that night, he hadn't missed the slight cover up as she had asked what night he had been talking about.  He grinned and imagined that she probably knew, but didn't want to share with him.  He trusted her enough to know that nothing serious had happened, but Hao had said that something had happened.  Yoh wondered what it could have been.  

Flashback:  

Yoh had moved his head onto Anna's lap and she didn't push him away.  

"It hurts Anna.."  Hao revealed the scars that Yoh had received from Anna's oversoul, from the Oni that her mind had created.  She kissed the scar and hoped that the gesture alone would be enough to heal his wounds.  "Will you stay with me Anna?"  

"Of course, I am the wife of Asakura Yoh."  She lied down beside him and closed her eyes.  "Go to sleep Yoh.  You need your rest."   Hao reached out and wrapped an arm around Anna's waist and pulled her closer to him.  "What are you doing Yoh?!"  She was ready to kick his ass.  

"Just for now.  Please Anna.."  She was going to slap him, but instead patted his cheek playfully.  

"Go to sleep, baka."  Hao slowly nodded and closed his eyes holding Anna close to him.  "Go to sleep Yoh."  She slowly began to drift off to sleep.  'It's all your fault,  baka.'  Were her last thoughts as she went to sleep.  

Hao continued to lay there with his eyes closed.  New wounds were forming inside of him as he felt the warmth of the person that he was falling in love with next to him.  'Could this be punishment for the things I've done wrong or am I am I still learning what its like to live?  Yoh… do you ever feel this way, little brother?'  Yoh looked up from his meditation at the sound of his older brother's voice.   

"Hao?"  Yoh turned his attention back to his meditation and the one thought that directed his intense training.  'I want to go back... back to Anna.'  Partially his feelings were driven out of fear that she would kill him for leaving and letting Hao take over his body.  His other feelings were of the love he felt for his fiancée and how he wished that he could have spent more time with her.  If only he had known a way to convey his feelings to her.  He wanted to know if she would accept his feelings.  He wanted the courage to tell her.  He wanted just another opportunity to see her again.  He wanted the strength to overcome his fear of her and the traumas from their earlier years together.  He knew it had all been done with his best interests in mind, but he couldn't help with the mental scaring that had been done to him in the process.  He wanted to overcome his fears and become a powerful Shaman.  He still wanted to be Shaman King, not just for himself, but also for her.  

Yoh had spent the first couple of days sleeping in his mind.  If that was possible at all, but he had went to sleep only to wake up and find that it was all real.  Hao had really taken over his body.  After that he had dedicated his time to figuring out a way to get out and the only conclusion that he had come up with was to let go of his mind.  The technique was often called an out of body experience and Yoh could faintly remember his grandfather explaining the process to him.  He had been barely paying attention and trying not to fall asleep at the aspect that someone's soul could leave their body for a certain period of time and live to tell about it, but in order to do so.  They had to have a strong will and a powerful mind. He wasn't sure if he had both.  He just knew that he had good taste in music.  He wondered if Hao was listening to his music right at that moment and it motivated him to work harder.  

Hao was not listening to Yoh's music at that moment since he was sleeping.  He hadn't really touched any of Yoh's things besides digging through his clothes to find stuff to wear.  He had come across a pair of Yoh's boxers that had highly amused him with its marijuana leaves all over it.  He wanted to know if his little brother smoked weed since it was something given to them by Mother Nature and came from the earth so that meant it was good.  He also glanced over to Yoh's bed covers that had the same design on them.  He wouldn't be surprised if he would come across a marijuana plant growing somewhere in Yoh's room soon or later.  Yoh pushed such thoughts of his older brother from his mind and concentrated again on the task at hand.  With a lot of meditation and deep thoughts of Hao listening to his music, getting fresh with Anna and eating his oranges.  It was more than enough to push himself into that state of being.  

Yoh could hardly believe it as he felt himself beginning to float since the feel of it was different than existing in his own mind.  And then he saw it.  He was lying next to Anna with his arm wrapped around her, but he was above them and he could see that the two of them were asleep.  He suddenly felt himself getting upset.  Why was Hao's arm around Anna?  Had Anna been cheating on him?  He couldn't believe it even though Hao was using his body.  It just wasn't right.  He tried to concentrate and move closer to the two of them.  'Anna.'  He called into her ear, but she didn't respond.  Was she really that tired?  What had she been doing?  All kinds of weird images started popping into Yoh's head and he began to lose concentration.  Sweat dripped off from his brow as he tried to call her again.  'Anna!'  But there was no response as he felt himself slipping.  And then he was in his mind again.  'Damnit!'  

Anna blinked and opened her eyes.  She moved her head from side to side to look around the room.  She thought she had heard someone calling her, but there was no one there.  She glanced over to Yoh and saw that he was still asleep so no one had been calling or he would have woken up.  She released a pent up breath that she had been holding and closed her eyes again, only to fall into a deep sleep where a dream overtook her and the realization that Yoh wasn't himself was dawned upon her.  

Present day:  

Anna watched Yoh as he sat on the windowsill and gazed out into the night sky.  The stars illustrated the light that burned throughout the darkness and Yoh felt as if he suddenly understood.  In all the previous times that he had stared up at the night sky as he watched the stars come out.  He had always found peace in the serenity of the moment, but it was different now.  He could feel nature calling out to him.  

"Yoh?" Anna could feel that something was bothering Yoh.  He turned to look at her and smiled.  It was the same old Yoh that she remembered, but his feelings were deep.  Tumbling through a moment that she couldn't even grasp.  He placed his hand against his chest, slightly covering his heart.  

"I can feel it."  He continued to grin at her.  "There's this warmth inside of me now that wasn't there before."  He looked up into the sky and closed his eyes.  "Its like I'm finally home, that a part of me had been missing."  She continued to stare at him.  She wanted to believe that it all was finally over, but as she watched him.  She noticed a change in him.  A new aura radiated around Yoh, an aura of understanding, of enlightenment.  

'What happened to you, Yoh?'  He felt as if he had just opened his eyes for the first time, as if he were seeing the world for the first time.  

"I don't really know."  He let his hand drop away from his chest and peered outside.   "When Hao entered my body after you had called him, I could only feel one thing.  There  was only one thing on our mind."  Anna waited for him to continue and tell her what he was babbling on about, but he didn't continue.  Instead he shrugged.  She took that as her cue and turned to leave.  "Anna?"  She paused beside the door, but didn't turn back to look at him.  

"Yes Yoh?"  

"He meant it.  Everything he said was true."  She didn't need for him to say who he was referring too because she knew who it was.  

"Ah."  Was her only reply and she stepped out of the room.  He continued to stare at the night sky as that warmth continued to subsist inside of him.  

'Do you really understand Anna?  Just how much Hao.. how much I love you.'  This new feeling that burned brighter than the Spirit of Fire, inside of Yoh was the realization that he loved Anna and that for the first time.  Hao and him had come into an understanding of just what was most important to them.  It was Anna.  She had been the answer to everything all along.  Yoh knew that the only reason Hao had left was to protect Anna.  He had believed that it was the only thing that he could do for the one he loved, but when Anna had called him back in spirit to enter Yoh's body.  What exactly had she been thinking?  Had she known the danger of bringing Hao back into Yoh's body?  It had been her choice to call him back so that he could protect Yoh from his groupies or had she known that Hao would refuse her nothing and would come to protect her, the one that he had come to cherish so much.  Anna blamed it all on Hao that the band of Shamans had gathered in their courtyard and she wanted Hao to fix it without the cost of Yoh's life.  

Back in Anna's room, she sat in her own windowsill and stared up at the night sky.  A single star among the rest burned brighter and seemed to twinkle down at her as if it were winking at her.  She was happy that everything had turned out fine though she couldn't express it.  She was glad that Yoh was back and that Hao had finally passed over.  A small, but silent smile replaced the cold hard mask that she often wore as her thoughts turned to the one thing that she had left unsaid.  

"Thank you... Hao."  

~Owari~

A/N:  As you can see, Hao didn't get Anna in the end.  Or did he?  XD  But Hao has gone back to where he belongs for the moment and everything has gone back to normal for Anna and Yoh.  Or has it?  But this ends my fic, "That voice."  Hope everyone enjoyed it cause I had fun writing it though originally I hadn't intended to write anymore of it other than a one shot.  Can you believe this whole fic could just be left alone at a one shot?  I don't think so.  I believe that there could have been something between Hao and Anna if Yoh hadn't been born.  It kinda makes me wonder what would have happened if Yoh hadn't been born and if they had raised Hao to become engaged to Anna in hopes that he wouldn't try to kill off the human race again.  XD  But that's an idea for another fic.  I don't know if I'll write it though since I have some other fics that I'm working on.  I STRONGLY believe in the Yona coupling and sorry for any moments that people may have thought the characters were OOC, but again I had to apply some of those if this were to happen though it really wouldn't happen type of moments.  Fic writers can be creative like that.  XP  I have to say the best thing about this fic was the HaoXAnna fan or any future fans of this coupling that I created by writing this.  Yay!!!!  Now I can go back to dedicating more time to my SK cosplays.  Ja minna!


	12. Out takes Part Une

Disclaimer:  I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me.  I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.  This part is kinda pretty much comedy and ecchiness so excuse me or don't read if that's not your cup of tea.  Complete wildness and OOC, but these were just some crazy thoughts that popped into my head after writing this fic.  XD

Chapter 12 – Out takes Part Une covering Chapters 1-5

Out take #01

"Anna?"  Yoh asked as she looked over at him.   

"What?"  Yoh sweat dropped and played the words that he wanted to say over and over through his mind, but he just couldn't say the real question that he wanted to ask because it just wouldn't sound right no matter what he told himself.  

"Did you hear anyone calling out my name last night?"  Anna peered at Yoh for a moment seeming to take his words in as if he were implying something.  

"Not unless you were having a wet dream about me again.  I told you to lay off those clementines before going to bed Yoh."  Yoh closed his eyes and quickly shook his head no.  

"Aghh!!!  Who'd have one about you!"  He suddenly stopped shaking his head, realizing what he had said.  He slowly opened his eyes to see a flaming Anna staring at him.  

"Yoh.."  Fire breathed from her mouth, as he took off at a sprint with her hot in his heels.  He wasn't fast enough and ended up getting caught.  She tarred and feathered him, sticking him to a pole and leaving him out at the front gates with a sign above his head that read, "Garbage."  

Out take #02

Hao got up and dressed himself to look like Yoh.  He came to Anna's door and slid the door open slightly to peer inside where Anna's form laid out asleep.  He grinned at the figure sprawled out on the bed.  She was truly his now he thought.  He quickly opened the door the rest of the way as it slammed open. 

Anna sat up from her futon and quickly looked toward the sound.  "Yoh?"  She could faintly make out the figure of Yoh standing I the doorway.  

"Ikadakimasu!"  Hao lunged at her, but she easily moved out of the way and pushed him out the window.  

"Ittarashi!"  She called after him as she went back to sleep on her futon.  

Out take #03

Anna walked in.  

"Is it ready yet?"  Yoh looked up and continued to smile at her as his gaze centered on her.  

"Yes."  Anna glanced at the food that he had set out that lined across the table.  There had been an improvement to his cooking skills since that night of the change also, but she found herself being watched by him again.  

"Yoh."  He seemed to snap out of it and straighten his body in response to her calling.  

"Yes?!"  

"Wipe the drool from the corner of your mouth."

"Oh!"  He realized it then as he quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe away the excess drool.  It was now becoming a habit that he would have to get rid of because she had already called him Niagara Falls a few times already.    

Out take #04

"Hm."  Anna closed her eyes.  Amidamaru watched and waited for his mistress's orders.  She opened her eyes.  "It's going to rain soon."  Amidamaru looked up toward the heavens and noticed for the first time that gray clouds had been gathering.  "We'll just head back and wait."  Amidamaru nodded and followed his mistress.  What is happening to Yoh-dono he wondered as they walked off?  

Hao stood on the top of the walkway as he made his way down to the pole.  He grabbed onto it and begun to swing around with one arm on the pole.  He used his other arm to pull off the tiger patterned thong that was the only thing that he had been wearing, the customers begun to cheer and throw money onto the stage as he shook his booty for them.  The secret life of a stripper wasn't easy when your old woman was at home just waiting for you to return so that she could brand your ass.   He wasn't able to hide it, the tiny tattoo on his ass that read, "Anna's."  

Out take #05

"You know nothing, Yoh."  Hao motioned to the darkness around him and the scene changed.  "This is what you know."  Yoh was running away as Anna chased him with a medieval battle-axe, the thing was designed to fully decapitate whatever it connected with.  Yoh was franticly climbing up to the top of a pole and staying there as various remains of animal's leftovers scorned the base of the pole.  The smell no doubt keeping the young Shaman as far away from the ground as possible as the devilish gleam in her eyes continue to smile up at him.  

Hao motioned again.  "This is what I know."  Various half naked and fully nude women ran around the room, Hao from his former lives happily chasing after them, only to pounce all over there. 

Yoh couldn't hold it in anymore as he broke down and cried his little heart out.   


	13. Out takes Part Deux

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this. This part is kinda pretty much comedy and ecchiness so excuse me or don't read if that's not your cup of tea. Complete wildness and OCC, but these were just some crazy thoughts that popped into my head after writing this fic. XD

Chapter 13 – Out takes Part Duex covering Chapters 6-9

Out take #06

"Do you remember Yoh?" Anna asked though she knew there would be no reply. She didn't wait long to continue on because she knew that wherever he was listening. He knew better than to ignore her. He didn't have a choice in the matter.

His unconscious form continued to lie across the futon not moving. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest told Anna that he was still alive. She could feel that Yoh was listening to her. He always listened and seemed to know what to do in her time of needs. Even when he had died, he had come back and the first person that he had talked to was her. She wondered if he had seen the look of relief and shock of seeing him get up and say something to her. It had all been too much. Anna squeezed his hand. "Yoh..."

"……." The edge of Anna's lips twitched a little as she felt the dream that Yoh was having.

Yoh was frolicking across an open green field. The next scene has him relaxing on the ground on an open blanket that had been spread out by an obedient Anna. She began to feed him grapes as he relaxed and soaked up the warm, golden sun's rays.

Anna's grip tightened into a death grip around his hand.

"Waaa!!!! Anna!!!! Gomen nasai!!!" Yoh's eyes open and he suddenly pushes himself up in his bed and pulls free of the grip that Anna had on his hand. Blood slowly began to appear on the bandaged wounds.

"YOH……" The blonde haired Itako's eyes are covered by her bangs as her gaze peers downward.

Anna slaps Yoh left and right. Blood begins to unconditionally ooze out from Yoh's wounds.

"Who's the bitch now!?!" Fausts busts into the room and begins immediate medical attention on Yoh.

"Yoh-dono!?!" Cries Amidamaru as he tries to keep some distance between Anna and Yoh.

Out take #07

Hao blocked Anna from leaving the room.

"Move Yoh." She told him firmly, but he shook his head.

"No. No more, Anna." Hao quickly swept Anna into his arms and held her close. "Tonight we skip the wedding and begin with the honeymoon!" He scooped her up into his arms as she squealed in delight. He began to run up the stairs laughing evilly as they disappeared into the room and the door slammed shut behind them.

Several hours later, Hao lit a cigarette and took a slight drag from it. He blew out heart shapes into the air. "Life is good."

Out take #08

Ren crushed the post card in his hand and tossed it to the side. "Bason!"

The spirit appeared next to his young master and cried out in pain. Ren turned to stare at his spirit. Tears were running down the Chinese warlord's cheeks.

"Eh… what's wrong, Bason?"

A sweatdrop appeared on Bason's forehead as the tears continued to flow freely.

"WELL!?!" Shouted Ren. Bason sniffled and tried to regain his composure long enough to say.

"Bochamma gave me a papercut."

Ren fell over.

Out take #09

"Are you mad at me?"

One of Anna's brows rose and than she began to laugh. Her chuckle was bitter and sent a chill down Hao's spine. This wasn't the Anna that he had come to know, the Anna that held him as he cried. 'What have I done?' He silently asked himself as he stood there witnessing Anna distancing herself from him.

Her laugher halted so unexpectedly that he was taken by surprise as she pushed away from the tree and began to walk toward him. He took a step back as she drew closer. He didn't want to hurt her and yet she appeared as if she wanted to fight. 'Women…' The thought was more than enough to inconvenience him in many ways.

He was a master of the five elements, the most powerful Shaman in the world. Nature was at his beck and call. Many women he had easily conquered and yet she continued to resist him. He wanted her more.

She didn't have to read his mind to notice what he was thinking about because he wasn't making an attempt to hide it, his erection. Yoh had never had an erection when she was around. It was more than enough proof that he wasn't Yoh and she planned to use it to her advantage. She stopped in front of him and stared into his eyes dark as if searching for something. He could see the emotions swirling in the depths of her eyes and suddenly felt the need to hold her, to comfort her, but he held himself back. He suddenly takes her hand within in his own as he leans forward to stare deeply in her eyes.

"Will you bare my child?"

SLAP


End file.
